


Monster

by ForgetThis



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst, Dreamcatcher, F/F, I forgot there’s a lot of angst, Jiyoo crumbs, Maybe - Freeform, Ngl it’s kinda kinky, Torture, come get y’alls juice, idk what are tags, i’m going to hell for this, jiyoodong, kinda violent but not really graphic, suayeon, tbh, will probably add more characters and tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25079530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgetThis/pseuds/ForgetThis
Summary: After being captured by the villagers of a powerful Duke, Bora feels ready to die. She had never really thought about it, but immortality would eventually get boring anyways. Sure, she’d miss her friends, but if it kept them safe...That is, until a strange and captivating woman decides to help her out.OrSiyeon helps Bora and all she gets in exchange is being kidnapped by the vampire’s weird witchy friends.[Sorry I suck at summaries]
Relationships: Gahyeon is everyone’s little sister, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon, Suayeon - Relationship
Comments: 41
Kudos: 180





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Triggering warning for violence, mention of torture and rape. Also kind of suicidal thoughts/mindset. 
> 
> This is my first time posting anything so... enjoy I guess?

At this point, any source of light was blinding. She had never enjoyed the daylight in the first place, but after three days in a filthy cell with nothing but darkness she had started to appreciate it. 

All she had were the rats that would occasionally sneak in and out of their holes and the sound of her chains, too loud with every move she made. She couldn’t blame the rats for disappearing immediately after a while, there wasn’t a single crumb of food or drop of clean water. 

Her stomach was at first a good company, entertaining her with the loud grumbles that expressed what she couldn’t because of her dry throat. After a while hunger left her too, only to be replaced by thirst. 

Water thirst. 

It was one of the worst things she had experienced in her long life. An entire river wouldn’t be enough to quench her thirst. 

The morons of this little village assumed that a monster such as herself didn’t needed the basics to live. They were also extremely loud, at least to her sensitive hearing. The men guarding her cell would gossip aloud about everything, including whatever they planned to do to her. 

Apparently, some Duke she had never heard of who was a renowned hunter had all of his villagers armed and train to capture them, Daegu being the first since it had the reputation of being the origin of many horror tales. The men discussed for hours what they thought the Duke would do to her, but they talked the most about what they would do to her. As unsettling and disgusting as it was for Bora to hear it, her other choice was to pass out, which meant letting her guard down. 

She wasn’t ready to give up just yet. 

She’d take the hunger and thirst, the pain and even the lack of blood just a little longer, just enough for Gahyeon to be safe. Once she was sure the girl was far away and out of these peoples radar she would let herself die. Perhaps she could hold on until JiU found Gahyeon and took her out of this wrecked place, but that maybe a little too long. 

So far she hadn’t heard of them finding anyone else, which was good. However, she overhead them speak about their multiple attempts to track Gahyeon and she wouldn’t quit until they quitted. 

Her consciousness had other plans. Though she had had plenty of blood before she was captured, it wasn’t enough for her wounds to heal quickly. At this moment, her body was the one of a beaten up human, if not worse. She had bleed out quite a lot at first and wounds were still inflicted on her whenever the guards felt like having fun. 

Now seemed to be one of those moments. 

The dim light of their torches blinded her, but she managed to distinguish the two men that had visited often. 

—Well, well, well... —they stood a few feet in front of her, still too scared to come near. 

Bora couldn’t help but smile at this thought. She was on her knees, her arms were chained up to the ceiling and the collar in her neck was fixed to the wall; but they still feared her. And so she smiled, her white fangs shining with the light. 

—I heard the Duke will be here soon. To bad we won’t get to have her for ourselves. —Bora scoffed. All they had done was mock her and hit her, they wouldn’t dare to do anything else. 

However she kept quiet, with not enough strength to answer back like before, and if the Duke was indeed coming she was going to need every bit of it. 

—Have the rats eaten your tongue? Or perhaps you did it yourself, so hungry for blood —they laughed at her but Bora remained quiet, clenching her fists to keep herself from doing something stupid. The insult wasn’t that good anyway. 

—Monster. —the other one said, spit reaching one side of her face. She could feel her anger rising and had she not been tied up that man would be the one without a tongue. Or head. 

What angered her the most weren’t the insults or the kicks, it was being so helpless agains them. She couldn’t protect herself, her hands unable to even reach her face. 

—I heard she was with another woman too... —Bora was drawn out of her thoughts by the man’s sentence, making her shoot her head up in surprise— I heard they are close to catching her... the things I’ll do with that one...just wait until I have her all by myself. 

It couldn’t. It had to be a lie, he had to be lying. Gahyeon wasn’t so stupid, she wouldn’t stick around or come back, would she? She’s a very smart girl she couldn’t possibly...

—I don’t care what she is, I deserve to just grab her by the-

—Shut up. —her voice was hoarse and not half as intimidating as she wanted, which made the men stop only to smile at her wickedly. 

—I’ll pin her down and take her as much as I please. 

—Shut up! —with the little strength she had left she shook the chains in her hands and her eyes turns slightly golden, but the man wouldn’t back down. 

—And while I rape her, over and over again I’ll tell her it was you. It was all your fault. 

At the mention of rape she was already fuming, she could barely hear the rest over the loud sound the chains made when she pulled. She yelled in anger, pulling forward in a futile attempt to free herself. 

—I will kill you! You and everyone in this place I swear! 

Just thinking about them harming Gahyeon because of her made tears of frustration stream down her face. 

She was no longer herself, could no longer control her actions. She pulled at the chains so much her wrist and knees started to bleed, her throat hurt with every yell but she wouldn’t stop.

—If you touch a single hair on her hair I swear...!

Se trailed of, knowing she had already given out too much information but not willing to stop. If only she could get her hands on their neck... 

—I see you guys are having fun. —a mocking voice suddenly spoke. Unlike the other villagers she’d heard, this man spoke in an elegant manner and with twice their ego. 

It had to be the Duke. 

Bora reprimanded herself mentally, she had been so caught up on her rage she hadn’t heard or seen another man enter with a torch on his hand. She could hear people shuffling behind him in the darkness, probably more guards or curious nobleman. 

—Your Grace —they bowed but Bora stood still, her arms almost hanging dead above her head. 

—Who do we have here? —the man approached her paying no mind to the guards. 

With the torches shining more light on his face she could see him clearly. Brown eyes and hair, a a ridiculous mustache and fancy robes covered by a coat; exactly what she expected him to be. 

—Leave us. —he shook his hand dismissively at the guards who bowed and left quietly. However, the person that remained hidden in the dark corner next to the door didn’t. —You too. —his voice seemed sweeter for some reason, making Bora wonder who could possibly make this man change his attitude even so subtly. 

The person left and the door closed behind them. Darkness enveloped everything but the Dukes face. 

—What’s your name? — he said as he placed the torch on the wall. Bora didn’t answer and started at him as if he were dumb. Did he really thought it would be that easy? 

The man approached her slowly and stood in front of her calmly. 

—What is your name? —he asked again, this time with cold anger spat out on every word. 

As expected, his fist flew right into her jaw, making the eyesight of her right blurry and feeling the metallic taste of blood on her mouth. Her head hanged low, her mind becoming foggier with every breath. The Duke harshly grabbed her chin and lifted her head up, spitting the question in her face once more. 

Gods know how long they kept going. Same question, same result, the only difference being wether she got slapped, punched, kicked or cut. Her body shook in a mix of pain and anger, almost unable to register the man’s words. Her only hope was to lose consciousness, but the Duke made sure to keep her awake. 

After what felt like centuries to her, she suddenly heard something different. A knock on the door interrupted the question the man repeated like a mantra. Though she could barely keep her eyes open and her body begged for death, she wasn’t ready. 

The man yelled a reply she didn’t really made the effort to understand, but the door opened slightly letting in a small streak of light that shined right in her face. It wasn’t until she hear the voice that Bora forced herself to stay awake. 

It was a woman. 

Her first thought was of Gahyeon, making her body tense up and gain some strength she didn’t knew she had left. After hearing the soft deep voice for a couple more seconds she visibly relax, unable to recognize it. However, her mind was still on alert, what was a woman doing there? For what she had experienced, humans on most parts of the continent treated woman as pieces of meat or trophies, this place was no different. Why would they send her down here?

The door was shut close but she could still hear them, her previous foggy mind now completely focused on the Duke’s conversation with the woman. 

—What is it? —he sounded annoyed at the interruption, like a little kid who’s toy was taken away. 

—What are you doing? —the woman spoke in a much lower voice but she sounded obviously distressed. 

—Honey I told you not to come. —his sweet voice had to be one of the fakest she had ever heard, had she had enough strength she would’ve rolled her eyes and laughed. —I brought you hear so you could see your dad, don’t worry your pretty little mind. 

On the other side of the door, the woman scoffed loudly, moving away from the man’s touch on her face. 

—You’re going to kill her and for what? —she huffed again, clearly angry. 

—Her? Honey, that’s a monster. I’m just doing what’s best for this town, you more than anyone should want justice. —the woman sighted in frustration. 

She hadn’t been in there for long so Minho could easily be right, but she just couldn’t unsee it. She was told they had found a monster so that’s what she expected, not a beaten up woman who’s screams would resonated all over the building. Perhaps her dad was right, she was too weak minded and naive for her own good, but she wasn’t going to let this slide. 

She knew compassion and common sense would not get through her husband so she took a deep breath, deciding to change her strategy. 

—I want justice. —her voice was now cold and firm, getting an approving nod from her husband. —But what have you gotten so far? Not even a name. I asked around, the guards say she needs food and water to- 

—You went behind my back? —Minho was furious and his hand, previously resting with care on her forearm was now so tight around her elbow, she couldn’t help but let out a little gasp. 

—I - I just —she had her gaze casted downwards and she was slightly trembling— If you want her alive for further questioning, she needs help. I could try to- 

—Fine. —Minho roughly let go of her arm pushing her backwards and opening the door. —Go get your stuff and play nurse with that little abomination, but never unauthorize me like that again, understood? 

—Yes, _husband._ —the words where spat out with venom as she walked away to get the supplies she needed. 

Bora, having heard but not seen the entire exchange pondered her options trying to keep the fogginess of her mind at bay. 

They needed her alive for something and she most definitely wasn’t going to give them what they wanted. On the other hand, perhaps if she stayed alive long enough they would forget about Gahyeon and settle with her. 

What if this was all a trick? Maybe they knew about her hearing and this was all staged. As much as she wanted to believe good humans existed, that woman couldn’t possibly want to help her. 

Nonetheless, the idea of food and water was tempting. As highly as she thought of herself, she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold off for long. 

All they wanted was a name. 

When the Duke marched in again, grabbing a fistful of hair, pulling her head backwards and asking for her name, she hesitated until the offer was made. 

—My wife here feels the need to play nurse, so tell me your name and I’ll allow her to come in.

—Sua —she whispered, so low the man could barely hear her even though he was standing right behind her. He tugged at her hair again, making tears stream down her face. —My name is Sua. 

Of course it wasn’t, what made this shithead think she’ll say the truth? Maybe he was blinded by anger, too tired to continue or just a moron, but he smiled wickedly and released her hair. 

—I will see you tomorrow, Sua. —he said before going out the door with his back turned to Bora, who couldn’t help but smirk at the name, having to let her head hang down as an attempt to hide it. 

She heard the door opening and some shuffling, but she kept her head hanging low pretending to be unconscious, which wasn’t that far from the truth. When she felt the person, this woman, close the door and take tentative steps towards her she suddenly lifted her head up and stared at her, with the sole purpose of scaring her. 

Bora had always been a sucker for drama. 

Her sudden move seemed to have the effect she wished for, making the woman jump back a little bit, but this also made her incredibly dizzy and for a couple of seconds all she could see where dark spots. 

Once her vision had cleared out she focused on the woman standing shyly a few feet away from her. She couldn’t make out much of the woman expression, only managing to distinguish some of her features and her overall posture. Still, it was no wonder she married the Duke, even without seeing her properly she could recognize the woman’s beauty. She stood tall and proud but not in the cocky and sufficient way her husband did. Her body was partially hidden under a thick dark cloak but Bora could make out a lean figure covered by simple pants and a shirt, definitely not Duchess-like. Her dark hair contrasting against her pale skin made her features look more sharp, her eyes remained hidden by the shadows. 

Now, Bora was not one to fall for beauty and was certainly not the type to believe in love at first sight; she didn’t really believed she could love in a romantic way. But she wasn’t blind either, the woman standing in front of her was undoubtedly beautiful, almost too good to be true. She decided to blame it on her poor condition, perhaps she was just seeing some angel she wished would save her, her mind playing cruel tricks on her. 

On the other hand, the woman herself took time to scan the prisoner, her eyes looking for that monstrous expression she though the woman would have. Yet, despite her initial scare, there seemed to be nothing inhuman, besides the condition the she was in. 

Blood was streaming down her bare arms from her chained up wrists, her disheveled hair full of knots sticking to her bloody skin. Her face, just like the rest of her body, was full of cuts, bruises and dirt. Big dark circles were visible underneath piercing chocolate eyes despite the amount of filth that covered her face. The woman was dressed with nothing but a thin ragged dress similar to a nightgown and the entire place smelled awful. 

Despite the warnings issued by her husband she couldn’t help but approach the frail woman to take a closer look. She walked around her, only to find multiple cuts on her back that stained everything crimson red, making it impossible to suppress her gasp. She hurriedly walked to the door where se had left everything she thought she might need and walked back to the woman with her hands full of bandages, cloths and a big bottle of alcohol. 

Bora, unsure as to what to think, kept her guard up and her fist clenched out of pure instinct. If the woman was going to torture her too then the least she could do was expect it. So when she walked back to her she too quickly for her taste, her first instinct was to try to cover her face with her chained up hands, making every inch of her body ache. She had never been one to get scared easily but she was so tired and in so much pain... she just wanted them to be over with it. 

The woman was stunned by the reaction and mentally reprimanded herself for being so careless. Of course she was afraid of her! 

—I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt you. —she apologized softly, walking slowly to the back of the woman. This surprised Bora, but she didn’t let her guard down. 

—I’m going to clean your back with alcohol so it’s going to hurt... a lot. —the woman sounded distressed, almost as if the one in pain was her. 

Bora’s only response was to tense up her body and prepare herself for the pain. She had gone through much worse surely...

Her self reassurance was interrupted by the burning ache of the alcohol on the wounds and she hissed in pain. The woman wouldn’t stop, she would only mutter an apology and continued her work as quickly as she could. 

After what felt like forever, the back was finally free of dirt and blood, leaving the multiple cuts clean. During the process Bora has briefly passed out and then stopped feeling her back, which was way better than feeling the alcohol seep into every single wound. 

The woman, having cleaned the wounds she thought were the most life threatening, stood up and walked to the supplies she had left in the entrance. She grabbed the heavy bucket of water she had brought down and a small metal cup. Again, Bora’s immediate thought was that she was going to get the water thrown at her so she closed her eyes and moved her head to the side. 

However, the cold water never came and Bora opened her eyes only to find the woman kneeling on the dirty floor right in front of her. She stared back at her with fear and curiosity, like a lost puppy. The woman’s eyes seemed soft and at first glance there didn’t seemed to be anything threatening about those beautiful brown orbs, slightly covered by some dark strands of hair. 

—Drink. —her voice was deep and she spoke in a sweet yet demanding tone, holding the cup right in front of Bora’s face. 

The clear liquid had never looked so tempting to her, but she wasn’t going to give in, so she teared her gaze away from the woman and faced her left, leaving the Duchess stunned. 

—You need to drink. —her voice was tougher this time as she placed herself in front of Bora, who looked to other way to keep herself from giving into the sight of the cold cup of water. —Fine. 

The woman placed the cup down right in front of her and took the medical supplies again. Bora kept looking to the left, her gaze casted down on the filthy floor until she was interrupted by the woman’s body. Without a word the woman took a clean cloth soaked in alcohol and softly touched her arm, making the prisoner jerk in surprise. She didn’t expected to be touched with... care. 

—I’m just going to clean your wrists. —she spoke with softness only matched by her gentle touch, moving the arm slightly so she could get the cloth onto wounds. 

The woman was close to her face, making Bora uncomfortable. She had been able to seem cool while she cleaned her back, keeping the cursed and expressions to herself, something this woman was obviously able to see now.

The second the alcohol reached her skin she felt the burning pain going up trough her arm making her jerk away and bite her lip so hard she could feel the copper taste of blood. This time, however, the woman didn’t apologize, keeping her eyes focused on getting the alcohol into every single inch of her mangled wrist. 

—You name is Sua, right? —she spoke in the same deep and calm voice she had used with her all this time. —I’m Siyeon. 

She didn’t really expected her to reply, she just thought talking might take the girl’s mind off the pain. 

—I’m almost done with this one —she muttered, mostly speaking to herself as she wrapped the wrist with the bandages as careful as she could. She then used the same cloth to clean the rest of her arm, finding a few old cuts underneath the filth. 

—You need to drink something. —she insisted, grabbing the cup once again and holding it in front of her. Bora looked away, but not before staring at the clear water and the begging expression of the woman. —Please—she looked for her eyes and, unable to find them, shuffled in her place to position herself in front of Bora. 

—Come on, I don’t bite I swear. —Siyeon insisted teasingly with the cup tightly between her hands. 

Bora let out a dry laugh, unable to control her own tongue. 

—Shouldn’t I be the one to say that? —if her hoarse and dry throat wasn’t enough to surprise Siyeon then the fangs shining with the light of the torches was. 

The woman opened her eyes wide in surprise and she backed a little out of instinct, but to Bora’s disappointment she could see curiosity and only a small trace of fear. 

—I don’t think you bite. —Siyeon’s answer somehow felt both like a playful joke and a genuine thought. 

Before Bora could think of a snarky and threatening reply she felt the cold metal cup pressing against her lips, tilted enough for her to feel cool water refresh her chapped bloody lips. 

—Drink. 

She didn’t oppose this time. She parted her lips as the woman gently tilted the cup, taking a small sip at first but then chugging the water desperately, letting the droplets stream down her chin all the way down to her chest. Mere seconds after the first sip the cup was empty, her body begging for more. 

Bora looked down ashamed of her behavior. She had worked so hard and for so long to be seen as something other than a monster, not so much by others but by herself, yet she behaved like an animal and gave into her savage instincts in no time. Siyeon, in the other hand, couldn’t keep her smile at bay. The woman finally seemed to trust her enough to accept her help, or she’d been tempted enough to at least drink something. 

She quickly refilled the cup on the bucket and held it up to Bora’s face. This time she didn’t hesitate, shame washed away with every gulp of water refreshing her dry throat. It wasn’t after about seven full cups that she decided she’d had enough for the time being, her stomach heavy because of the sudden amount of water. When Siyeon was about to refill the cup she shook her head, deciding she wasn’t going to speak to the stranger. 

—I’m going to do the other wrist —she spoke as she moved towards the injury. 

Despite the pain she knew was coming, Bora didn’t complain. God knows what the Duke would do if she denied something to his precious wife. Yet still here mind was torn between accepting this woman help in an attempt to survive or just give into a death she expected would come soon. Her mind kept on going back and forth between the two choices, trying to figure out which one would be better for Gahyeon. 

What if they managed to get the truth out of her? What if she told them everything? Then young, innocent Gahyeon would be their next target, along with JiU, Dongie and everyone she cared about. 

The choice that seemed to keep them safe, at least in the long run, was her death. Maybe the only good thing she could do with her life was to lose it. It wasn’t that bad, was it? She, unlike others of her kind, hadn’t died before her turning so that would be something new. The thing now was, how would she die? Thirst was currently out of the option and so was bleeding out, though the last one she could easily see in her near future.  
For the time being, she was going to do everything in her power to rush it. 

She had zoned out for so long she didn’t realize the woman was already done, looking for something in the corner. The black haired Duchess came back and sat in front of her staring at Bora’s eyes, wishing to find a trace of the abomination she expected, wishing that for once her husband was right. She found nothing but empty dark orbs, the only trace of emotion being fear. Perhaps that’s what monsters looked like. 

—Here. —she said placing a piece of bread right in front of Bora’s nose, the smell of it waking her stomach. 

—How do you know I won’t take a bite out of you instead? 

Bora’s sole purpose was to scare her, to drive her away before her will to live came back again. The truth is, despite what everyone thought, she refused to have human blood. She wouldn’t, not again. The promise she had made long ago still held, even if her life was on the line she wasn’t going to let her savage instincts win. 

However, Siyeon didn’t move her hand away, she only sighted and frowned as if she was thinking hard about the answer. 

—I don’t. —she muttered the answer with incredulity in her voice, almost as if she couldn’t believe she didn’t have an answer. 

—So you have a death wish? 

—Not really, —the woman chucked, lowering her gaze to her lap and then staring back at her—but you don’t look that deadly, Sua. 

Bora didn’t knew if she was deeply offended, angry or just surprised by the woman’s innocence. Sure, Sua didn’t look deadly in that condition, but if she knew what Bora could do she wouldn’t even be here. Had they not warned her? What had the Duke thought in the first place, allowing her naive wife to come in unguarded? 

Siyeon chuckled when she saw the prisoner’s expression. She had spoken with the sole purpose of seeing Sua’s reaction, though there was some truth on her words. Sure, she could be a monster underneath and had fangs to prove she wasn’t completely human, but so far she had given her no reason to think she was such an abomination. Even if she had crossed a line and brought the monster out (which she didn’t really expect), she was at a safe distance and her mind would be at ease knowing she was indeed a monster, thus justifying her husband’s actions.

Not that she could stop him anyway. 

—Just eat this. —she pushed the bread into Bora’s mouth who, foreseeing her actions looked away, the bread hitting her cheek. She hissed in pain when Siyeon accidentally brushed her hand against one especially deep cut. 

The dark haired woman muttered a quick apology before grabbing one of the left over cloths and soaking it on the bucket. 

Bora was surprised when se gently began to pat the cloth against her face. Of course, she expected her to do something with it, but she didn’t expected her to just carelessly touch her without even asking, her hands so close to her fangs. With little distance between them she could smell the Duchess over her strong reeking self. She smelled like the outside before a rainstorm, with a hint of vanilla. Or maybe she was just making it up, her mind once more attempting to comfort her. 

—I’m sure the Duke cared to warn his wife before she decided to play nurse with the monster. —her words clearly had the effect she wished on the woman, who stopped what she was doing with her hand mid air. Millions of thoughts seemed to rush through her eyes before they came back to normal, with only a slight frown that could either be from sadness or amusement, perhaps both. 

—He did.—she continued to gently clean her cheek all the way down to her jaw and then moving onto the forehead. 

—So careless of him, to allow his beloved woman to be alone with such and abomination. —her voice held all the sarcasm she hadn’t been able to take out on the Duke himself. Though her purpose was to intimidate her or at least make her back out of her personal space, the effect her words had were completely different. 

The woman gave her a sad smile, briefly directing her attention right into Bora’s eyes, only to go back to her forehead with a sight. 

—Beloved is a stretch. —she muttered, the cloth making its way down to Bora’s temple. —And so is abomination, you’re giving yourself too much credit. —she chucked and continued to clean the woman’s face. 

Bora’s mouth opened and closed, for once in her life she didn’t really had a snarky reply at the tip of her tongue. It took her some time to get her eyes to look away from the woman’s lips pursed into a light smirk. 

Before she could say anything else, she felt it, something in the atmosphere had changed. Her ears perked up, picking up on distant sounds that became louder, closer. A few seconds before the door slammed open she had a faint idea, faint hope, of who it was. 

Everything else happened in a matter of seconds. 

The door was wide open yet no one was there. The Duchess felt a shiver going down her spine, sensing the unearthly vibe that came along with the loud thud of the door. She braced herself her eyes completely focused on it, yet nothing happened. She looked at the prisoner out of the corner of her eye, who remained still in a way Siyeon knew wasn’t human. 

The presence behind them suddenly became obvious for Bora, hearing a light, almost inaudible whisper. 

—Yoohyeon? —but it was too late. Her vision became a blur and her mind swirled, mixing thoughts with dreams and dreams with nightmares. 

—Sorry, Bora.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue. Mostly Jiyoo because they’re cute. Backstory and characters / side plot introduction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk if I took too long but I’m finally here. I wanted to post before the Rose Blue release so here I am on the same day. I assume you’re already streaming.   
>  I don’t really know how AO3 works but I got nice comments ily to made my week.

The thin mist partially covering the forest made it the safest place for them to gather. Still, Yoohyeon felt uneasy and exposed, standing alone in the edge of the forest with half of her power already drained and so close to them. 

Humans. 

She had considered having some fun while she waited, but after taking a quick look around she decided those humans weren’t worth it. They smelled like greed and selfishness, only overpowered by the strong scent of garlic. Idiots, thinking something as simple as garlic would harm her. It didn’t, but she didn’t wanted to go around smelling like that either. Besides the garlic, those humans were no different to her, maybe even worse. If she wanted to feed on something so weak and bitter she would bite herself. 

Suddenly she heard the fallen leaves behind her ruffle, making her turn around fully alert and ready to fight. It was only when the yellowish glow among the mist disappear that she relaxed her shoulders, her lips slightly curved upwards. 

She wasn’t sure of what she should expect, after all, they hadn’t seen each other for decades and their last encounter hadn’t ended in good terms. 

—Yoohyeon! —the red haired girl ran towards her, throwing herself on the startled woman, hugging her tightly leaving her almost out of breath. It took Yoohyeon a couple of seconds to react, tentatively putting her hands around the other’s waist. 

—Hi. —Yoohyeon whispered shyly on the girl’s ear, which made the other loosen the grip around her neck and walk back a few feet. 

The grey haired woman immediately regretted breaking the moment, her body missing the other’s warmth. 

—Sorry. —she fidgeted with a lose string from her sleeve. —I missed you. —she gave her a small smile and carelessly tucked a lose strand of red hair behind her ear. 

Yoohyeon took the time to look at her, as if she’d never seen her before and wanted to remember her forever. The truth is, she could perfectly be a different woman, her usually soft and light clothes were now replaced by a black dress, partially covered by a dark velvety cloak and knee length leather boots. Her hair was now a soft red, unlike the natural brown she had when they first meet. Her face hadn’t really changed, but her expressions and overall character seemed to be different, at least from the outside. The dark circles under her eyes contrasted heavily against her pale skin and her brown orbs seemed to have lost some of its innocence, but not their spark. 

She was the same, yet she wasn’t. 

—I missed you too, Minji. —she tried for a smile. 

Not sure if she’d pulled it off and still longing for the other’s warmth, she took a step forward and enveloped her into a hug. Minji gave in instantly, melting in her arms and hugging her back. 

The moment, as ideal as it was, didn’t last much. 

—We have a small problem. —Minji said as she broke the hug and stared directly into Yoohyeon’s eyes. The grey haired woman frowned, slightly concerned. 

—What did you do?—whatever it was, she knew Minji well enough to know she felt guilty about something. 

—Well... —she looked down at her fidgety hands and then back up. —Remember how I got an apprentice a while back? I think I told you on the letter I— she took a deep breath to keep her voice steady, but seeing Yoohyeon raised her brow slightly only made the nervous pit in her stomach grow. —She or may not know about today. —Minji finally let out in a hurry. 

—I told you I would come only if you didn’t involved anyone else. —her voice and face were now emotionless, whatever trace of warmth she had shown before was gone. —You know how I feel about that. —Yoohyeon sighted in frustration but kept her cool. 

—I know I know, I’m sorry it just slipped...

—It fine Minji, I’ll manage. 

—If we go now she won’t-

The red haired girl was cut short by Yoohyeon’s finger on her lips to shush her. The sound of distant voices approaching them made the older woman panic and she was once more ready to attack, specially now with Minji by her side. However, when the voices became louder and two figures could be seen in the foggy path, Minji softly took Yoohyeon’s hand away from her lips frowning slightly. 

—See? I told you it was here! —spoke one of them, a woman. 

—Well at least I managed to get us out of the yard! —another woman replied. 

Their silhouettes soon became clearer. A woman with short hair all dressed in dark leather clothes walked with determination towards them. The other one, a younger girl, walked in a rush behind her trying to catch up. She wore what seemed to be a white nightdress and long leather boots similar to Minji’s, her small body partially covered by a dark cloak that seemed too big for her. 

—You brought Gahyeon?! —Minji walked to them with a serious, almost scary expression. 

—Well... I just thought she-

—Why didn’t you tell me about this? — the short haired woman was interrupted by her companion. —I told you I wanted to help! —frustration and anger mixed in her voice. 

—Because it’s dangerous. For both of you. —Minji was serious and slightly annoyed, which was something Yoohyeon was not used to. 

Minji let out a long, almost tired sight, but keep her serious composure before speaking up again. 

—You’re going back. —she said looking at Gahyeon, who frowned and opened her mouth ready to complain— Both of you.— Minji continued, now looking at the other woman.

Before any of them talked back they finally acknowledged the presence of the woman behind Minji, who was staring at them warily and with slight disdain. Noticing the girls eyes were focused on the person behind her, the red haired woman turned around and gestured for her to come closer. 

—This is Yoohyeon, she came to help. —the girls exchanged a knowing look with each other before waving shyly at the grey haired woman, who remained still in her place. 

—This is Dami —Minji took Yoohyeon’s hand, pulling her towards them. —she’s my apprentice. 

—Nice yo meet you. —the short haired woman, Dami, bowed her head in acknowledgment. 

—And this is Gahyeon, —the girl waved shyly at Yoohyeon with a bright smile — she’s Bora’s apprentice. 

Dami scoffed at the term, earning a punch on the arm from the small girl and a threatening glare from Minji. 

—So what’s the plan? 

—You’re going back, now. —Minji was deadly serious, and Yoohyeon couldn’t help but be somewhat amused at this completely different, mature and responsible woman. 

—But we’re already here! —Gahyeon whined— I want to help, please. 

The truth was, the help was very much needed, Minji knew that. At first glance, there were at least twice the amount of men she had spotted when she scouted the area a couple of days ago. As much as she hated to admit it, the two of them wouldn’t be able to sneak in alone, specially with part of Yoohyeon’s power already drained by the trip. 

The red haired woman looked at Yoohyeon who just sighted and nodded knowingly. She wasn’t going to like it, but if it Minji was fine with it she’d have to make an exception, just this once. It was the least she could do. 

—Fine— Minji sighted, doing her best to fight the smile that threatened to form when Gahyeon yelped happily. —Bora will kill me if she finds out.—she muttered under her breath. 

—So what’s the plan? —Dami asked again walking past them and towards the edge of the forest. Minji could tell her apprentice was excited too, but she did her best to hide it. 

Silence enveloped them as they stared into their target. Minji stood next to Dami and was then followed by the youngest girl, Yoohyeon being the only one to stay behind. 

—Bora is being held in a cell underneath that guard post —the red haired woman pointed at a wooden longhouse where the men that guard the perimeter gathered before and after their shifts. At this hour though, it could easily be mistaken by a tavern or even a brothel. —You girls will distract the men gathered by the fire so I can sneak into the building. I’ll knock out as many as I can while Yoohyeon...—she turned around to look at the woman staring back at her with a brow raised, but this time Minji was too worried to care—you know what to do. 

Yoohyeon nodded emotionless, putting up her hood to hide her ash grey locks and making sure all the knives strapped to her legs were still there. Before she had time to ask Minji about their weapons, the short haired woman pulled a metallic staff out of nowhere and started to turn it around nonchalantly. The other girl didn’t seem to have anything on her, in fact Yoohyeon was certain she had been dragged out of bed. 

—Before you go —Minji stopped the girls before they walked off to begin their distraction— Stick together and no killing. 

The grey haired woman couldn’t help the scoff that escaped her lips. Of course, that last remark was not only for them but for her as well. Dami and Gahyeon just nodded and walk off to the foggy valley, eventually disappearing. This left Yoohyeon alone with Minji, who was staring at her with a strange look on her eyes, with feelings she couldn’t identify. 

Concern, pity and anxiety were among Yoohyeon’s top guesses, which made her feel an almost burning rage. She smiled at Minji wickedly and showed off her fangs, just like she would do to threaten anyone. 

Minji knew that. 

She knew that’s how Yoohyeon was, but not with her. Not for a long time. As much as it hurt, she had to swallow the lump forming in her throat and push away the thought of Yoohyeon treating her like a stranger. 

—Yoohyeon, please. —her voice was firm but, afraid that her eyes would betray her, she looked away from the other’s challenging gaze and adjusted her hood to avoid her. 

—Fine —the grey haired woman spat out with venom on her tongue before banishing in the foggy path. 

Yoohyeon did her best to keep herself calm, to keep her head clear and her feelings at bay. She knew she couldn’t just kill everyone, of course she knew that, why did Minji feel the need to remind her? Sure the temptation was big, but she wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t going to let her impulses ruin the only chance they had to save Bora, did she thought her that selfish? 

She stopped walking and leaned her back against a tree, breathing in the cold air of winter to get her head clear. She stayed like that for a couple of minutes, gradually attempting to put herself on Minji’s head. She had done nothing to prove herself reliable or to make Minji believe she had come for anything other than the tempting idea of sneaking into a human guard post. If she was being honest, had she found herself on Minji’s position she would’ve done the same thing. 

However, as much as she knew the other girl was right to be wary of her, there was a part of her that couldn’t help but be hurt. It made no sense, she never cared about what anyone had to say and she certainly didn’t follow anyone’s rules, but with Minji? She never knew what to expect. 

She felt the anger starting to boil on her stomach once more, only this time it was aimed at herself. Yoohyeon despised how weak she felt when it came to certain people, to feel controlled by her own emotions when in fact she shouldn’t even care enough to have them.

For her own sake, Yoohyeon told herself she had to keep her cool, to push down whatever it is she was feeling and get over it. The sooner she got Bora out the sooner she could go back to her house, to her old habits and the numb feeling that came with it. 

With a last deep breath the grey haired witch continued making her way to her position, mind set on the comforting idea of everything ending soon and not having to deal with this feelings she barely understood. 

***

Everything went according to plan. 

Or so she thought. 

Minji had been able to sneak into the longhouse thanks to Dami and Gahyeon’s distraction. They seemed to be having no trouble keeping the men’s eyes fixed on them, though in other circumstances Minji was sure they would’ve knocked out anyone who dared look at them that way. 

Inside there were more than two dozen men scattered around in tables, too drunk to care about the hooded stranger that swiftly made her way in. Unfortunately, this was only a small portion of the guard and soon the men that were sober enough to stand noticed her presence. While they whispered and wondered if such a strange person was allowed in, Minji made her way across the place and towards the corner, making sure to draw as much attention as she could. 

She started to mutter the spell under her breath repeatedly, facing the corner as she felt the men gathering around her and getting closer. Before they could even realize what was happening, the red haired witch turned around and blew a handful of greenish powder from her hand. The men closest to her started coughing uncontrollably while the ones further back would look around in confusion.

—Witch! Witch! —they started to yell in panic, claiming they’d been cursed and warning the others, but it was too late. Everyone around her, started to fall unconscious as the powder’s effect kicked in, knocking them out one by one. 

For the first time since she entered she looked up from the floor, taking her hood off and preparing herself to fight. Of course, the spell had managed to knock out the men around her but in doing so it had drawn everyone else’s attention. At first glance it looked like a cheap pub made up by makeshift tables, seats and even a small bar to store the alcohol. However, hidden by the shadows all the way at the back of the building, there was the door to the storage room, which had the stairs leading to the underground cell. 

Minji did her best to find and memorize as much as she could of the place in the scarce time she managed to astro project a couple of nights before. Since she didn’t have enough time to reach the stairs she couldn’t confirm Bora was actually in there or if she was alive. 

Despite having hundreds of thoughts flashing through her mind in a matter of seconds, it was the idea of a dying Bora that stuck. Somehow she found this morbid and pessimistic thought fixated on her head, making her focus on nothing but the task ahead. She wouldn’t fail Bora, she couldn’t. Instead of being paralyzed by her fear she felt a shot of adrenaline course through her body. 

She took out two her twin blades from her belt, clenching to them so hard her knuckles turned white and then charged at the men coming for her. Taking such an aggressive stance wasn’t like her, but she was determined to be everything but herself that night. Of course, she wouldn’t kill anyone unless it was necessary but Minji was going to make sure they got what they deserved. 

Barely conscious of her own moves she charged at the man closest to her, delivering a hard blow on his head before he even managed to hold the sword steady. The next few minutes went by in a blur, handing out one blow after another and paying no mind to the few cuts and bruises she got herself. After she had taken out about three or four man that had charged at her she took a look around, realizing more and more men were coming to their senses and drawn to the fight. There was no way she could take them all, but she didn’t have to. All she had to do was hold off until she was sure Yoohyeon was safely inside the storage room. 

Two men ran to her as they took out their weapons and were being followed by at least three others. She heard a grunt behind her and turned around quickly, barely managing to dodge a sloppy blow from a guy that had regained consciousness. She swiftly move to the left to avoid the blow and took advantage of her position to cut through the man’s leg.

She was getting cornered back into the wall and her adrenaline rush soon faded, being replaced by the pain of the cuts and the ache in her muscles. 

However, as if on cue, Minji distinguish a grey, almost white head of hair making its way towards the door. The witch could’ve sworn she saw Yoohyeon turn around and look at her with concern before disappearing through the door. She immediately disposed of this thought, telling herself that Yoohyeon was probably just making checking no one had followed her. 

The red haired witch glanced once more to the door to make sure Yoohyeon was not followed and then scanned the room to make sure no one was close enough to hurt her. She closed her eyes and muttered the single word that would take her back to the mansion, feeling the floor underneath her body fade along with the noise of the longhouse. 

When she opened her eyes again she felt herself fall on her knees into the cold marble floor with a loud thud. Surrounding her were the carved stones she designed specifically for her teleportation spell, laid out neatly on the hallway floor. 

—About time! —she heard a familiar voice from behind her— Are you alright?

—I’m fine —Minji stood up with the help of Handong’s caring hands and looked around confused. —The girl’s aren’t back yet? 

—You let them go? —she asked instead, her eyes wide open in surprise. Minji answered with a sight, picking up her bloody swords and wiping them on her cloak. —That wasn’t-

The conversation was cut short by a sudden glow right next to them followed by a loud thud. Both Minji and Handong felt a wave of relief wash through them, but it only a lasted a second. 

—Gahyeon? —the elder witch knelt down besides her and shook the girl’s shoulders lightly.   
She remained still, staring blankly at something past Minji as if she could see through her. 

—Where’s Dami? —Handong voiced what both Minji and herself had instantly wondered when they saw a single person return. 

This words seemed to get the younger girl to snap out of her trance like state, looking at both woman with a mix of surprise and confusion. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, unsure of what had happened and still attempting to get out of the shock-like state that came every time she pulled off the teleportation spell. 

Their conversation was once more interrupted by a sudden glow in a spot a few feet from them, only this time the light was brighter and the thud was way louder. 

The grey haired witch fell on her knees, along with Bora and the strange girl who remained unconscious. She immediately let go of the tight grip she had on both women, taking some time to catch her breath and get the floor to stop moving. It wasn’t until she heard a familiar voice behind her that she realized she wasn’t alone.

Saying the red haired witch was confused or surprised was an understatement. Maybe it was the sight of Bora’s mangled body or the fact that Yoohyeon was back with two people that left her so dumbfounded, but it was only when she realized Dami wasn’t one of them that her mind seemed to shut down completely. She felt her heart racing and everything around her seemed to be spinning. Where is Dami? 

The hall was filled with unnatural silence, only broken by Yoohyeon’s grunting as she stood up with difficulty. She couldn’t understand what was happening, where they were and who was the orange haired girl that smelled like a human. Being physically exhausted and dizzy didn’t helped, but she still managed to take a quick look around. They were in some kind of entrance hallway, with a tall ceiling and a few torches lit around, probably Minji’s house. 

A broken sob suddenly escaped the youngest lips, drawing everyones attention. She had finally snapped out of her trance and made her way to Bora, who was starting to regain consciousness. Yoohyeon had to admit Bora had gotten surprisingly stronger if she was able to wake up so quickly from her spell, especially in the poor condition she was in. 

—Gahyeon —Bora said in a raspy voice, making the girl cry harder as she did her best to embrace the wounded girl without hurting her further. 

—Where’s Dami? —the orange haired girl asked for the second time, standing a few feet behind Minji. 

—She... —Gahyeon’s voice was surprisingly steady and she wiped away her tears quickly, trying to calm herself down. —We got in trouble and I couldn’t bring us both back. I tried I- —her voice trembled slightly and she gulped, trying to get rid of the lump on her throat. —She said she’d be fine and she was going to find you or your friend but- 

—It’s okay, it’s okay—Minji suddenly came back to her senses when she heard the younger’s voice crack again.

The eldest witch knelt down to comfort Gahyeon, trying to keep her own emotions contained and her tears at bay.

—Do you know where she is?—she asked gently. 

—I- I think she said she’ll go to the woods. Where we met. —Gahyeon mumbled between sobs. 

With a long, tired sight Minji looked at both Bora and Gahyeon lovingly, before standing up again. 

—Take Bora upstairs, Handong will help you take care of her—her voice was soft but with no room for argument. The youngest girl nodded, but Handong seemed reluctant to leave Minji alone with the grey haired witch and an unconscious stranger. Still, she made her way towards Gahyeon to help her carry Bora upstairs. 

Minji followed them with her gaze until they disappeared up the stairs, her soft eyes soon becoming full of rage. She turned around and approached the grey haired woman with one of the most intimidating look Yoohyeon had ever seen. 

—What the hell, Yoohyeon!? —she was clearly mad at her, but she wasn’t exactly sure why. 

Yoohyeon almost took a step back instinctively since she had not expected Minji to be that menacing and that close. As uncomfortable as she felt with the other so close to her, she just stood still and frowned, her mouth slightly open in shock. 

—You brought a human!? —Minji asked before Yoohyeon could answer. Her voice wasn’t as determined as it had the first time she yelled, this time it was tainted with sadness and disappointment. 

—So what? —the grey haired witch was genuinely confused and was starting to get angry herself. What was the problem? Hadn’t Minji given up on her long ago? 

—Yoohyeon you... —the older witch trailed off, taking a couple of deep breaths to clear her head. —Forget it. I need to solve this. —she walked with decision to her circle of stones to make sure they were arranged correctly, though her trembling hands betrayed any trace of confidence. 

Despite how badly Yoohyeon wanted to continue their discussion, when she turned around and saw Minji ready to leave she pushed all of it aside. 

—What are you doing? —she asked, grabbing her arm before she set foot on the circle. 

—I’m bringing Dami back. 

—You can’t. —Yoohyeon answered back immediately as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

To her, it was. It was clear as day that Minji’s body couldn’t handle two more teleportations, much less with someone else. Best case scenario she got to Dami, passed out or be too weak to come back and got both of them captured. 

Deep down Minji knew that she was pushing it, but there was no other way. 

—Yes I can. —Yoohyeon scoffed at the other woman’s weak answer. 

As cocky as it may seem, she knew Minji wasn’t powerful enough, but she was. Yoohyeon was certain that if anyone had a chance of pulling off four teleportations in a row was her. Not because she was better, but because she was worse. 

For once, there was a bright side to being a monster. 

Minji’s human body wouldn’t be able to take it, even with the help of the stones. Though a witch, her body was still human. Her, on the other hand, had the advantage of an immortal body that could easily handle twice the strain. 

Before Minji could mutter the spell, Yoohyeon was already gone. 

She wasn’t sure why she did it, why she was risking her life again for someone that she didn’t care about. All she knew was that Dami was important to Minji and Yoohyeon didn’t wanted her to lose someone important. 

The red haired witch was left dumbfounded, her eyes wide in surprise still fixed on the spot where Yoohyeon had previously been. The next few minutes felt like months to Minji, who could do nothing but pace around frantically and think about every possible outcome. Just when she decided she couldn’t wait any longer and stared to rearrange the stones she had carelessly kicked by accident, she spotted out of the corner of her eye the characteristic glow she’d waited for all this time. 

Objectively, it couldn’t have taken Yoohyeon more than five minutes to go and come back, so as much as Minji wanted to believe they could both make it, she wasn’t expecting to see the two of them back. 

She turned around to look at the fading glow, her eyes wide open in amazement when she saw Dami looking around in confusion, her arm held tightly by Yoohyeon’s pale hand. The short haired woman barely had time to stand up before she tumbled down again, having Minji throws herself at her and hug her tightly, which she reciprocated almost immediately. 

—What’s the big deal? —she muttered playfully while she helped herself up. 

—You could’ve died! You would’ve died! —Minji stood up quickly, frowning in both concern an disbelief at Dami’s careless attitude. 

Minji hit her arm slightly, making the short haired woman grunt and instinctively move her hand up to rub the spot, yet she still let out a small giggle. She had never seen her mentor so exasperated and she found it somewhat amusing. 

—This is serious!

—I’m sorry! It won’t happen again, okay? —Dami said putting her hands up in defeat. 

—Of course it won’t, —Minji’s voice was serious as per usual, only now it was slightly tinted with mockery —you are not going out for a very long time, understood?—Dami opened her mouth to protest but closed it as soon as she saw Minji’s menacing expression; she could be really scary if she wanted to.

—Fine. —she agreed with distaste, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. 

—Now, I need you to take care of her. —Minji pointed at the unconscious girl that was still lying on the marble floor a couple of feet from them.

—Who-? —Dami’s question was interrupted by Minji who gestured her to save it. 

—Don’t ask. —the senior witch commanded, putting her hands behind her back. —Just lock her in one of the spare rooms and then look for Handong. —she continued, waving her hand dismissively. —You’ll help her with whatever she asks you to, understand? 

Knowing she had no choice but to agree Dami nodded and, not without a lot of grunting and complaining under her breath, she lifted up the unconscious girl and carried her bridal style through the dark hall. 

It wasn’t until she was completely out of sight that Minji relaxed her shoulders and drop the serious and threatening facade, her expression turning in concern when she saw Yoohyeon trying to stand up. 

—What are you doing? —she asked in an almost panicked voice, running to Yoohyeon’s side gently pushing her back down. 

—I’m fine. —she argued back, but was unable to stand up again and felt everything around her spin. 

—You’re not. —Minji said, taking out a white tissue from her pocket and gently patting it against Yoohyeon’s upper lip to clean up the blood coming from her nose. —Lean back. 

—I told you I’m fine. —the grey haired witch insisted, taking the tissue form Minji. Before the other could do anything to stop her, she stood up—I don’t need you to- —her voice became smaller and she felt herself drift off, the world around her spinning so fast it made her nauseous and her vision blurry. 

The red haired witch, expecting that to happen, was already on her feet and ready to catch her before she fell back. After struggling to properly hold her she managed to pick her up and carried her all the way to her own room on the top floor. While she walked up the stairs she noticed that it wasn’t as hard as she expected and, if she was observant enough, she could see Yoohyeon’s bony ribs sticking out even through the dark leather clothes. 

At first she hadn’t really taken a good look at her friend, specially since she looked practically the same as when they last met. However now, upon closer inspection, she could see she was visibly thinner and her skin was paler, it almost felt like she was holding a ghost. Her face was entirely covered by grey locks of hair, sticking to the small trace of blood that had only just stopped coming out of her nose. 

Minji pushed the door open with her body and walked into the dimly lit room, gently laying Yoohyeon on the bed. Silently she went around the place, blowing out the candles and making her way out of the room, but not without glancing one last time at the peaceful looking woman laying on her bed. 

She intended to keep herself busy the rest of the night, Bora being her main concern, but she was surprised to discover there wasn’t much to take care of. Handong had taken care of most of Bora’s wounds, though she mentioned there wasn’t much to take care of since someone seemed to have done most of the work already. Needless to say, they had no idea who or why they helped her, but Handong said it look recent. 

Bora passed out again as soon as her head hit the pillow and Gahyeon fell asleep by her side after she refused to leave the older girl’s side. Minji opened the door slightly to take a peak and the sight of both girls soundly asleep made the weight in her heart lighten. 

—What are we doing with the woman you had me lock up in the guest room? —Dami asked straightforward as soon as Minji closed the door. 

—I —Minji sighted, she wasn’t sure, that’s why she had done her best to avoid the topic. She needed to talk to Yoohyeon first and that could either go really well or really bad. —I don’t know yet just... let me know if she wakes up. 

—Shouldn’t your friend deal with it?—Handong asked raising her brow. She had heard them mention Yoohyeon before and that, along with what she had seen herself, made her feel uneasy. Based on all she’s heard the past few years, Yoohyeon was the kind of vampire that gave them the bad reputation they have and did not seem to care. 

—Just... —Minji suddenly felt exhausted, too tired to justify Yoohyeon when she wasn’t even sure there was a justification. —She’s asleep, we’ll deal with this in the morning. 

Both Dami and Handong must’ve sensed her exhaustion since they just nodded and bid her goodnight, instead of grilling her with questions Minji was sure were coming. Sooner or later she’d have to answer them all, but she was thankful they didn’t push it. 

—You’re awake. —she said in surprise when she entered the room and saw Yoohyeon sitting up, her hands covering her face. 

—You’re loud. —she grumbled annoyed, shielding her eyes from the candle light that seemed too bright it hurt. 

Minji just scoffed and left the candle on top of her nightstand. She’d forgotten how sensitive Yoohyeon would get when she drained her powers close to the breaking point. Unlike humans, she had extraordinary hearing and eyesight and could control her other senses as she pleased, often choosing to suppress her sense of smell and taste. However in situations like this, where her body could barely handle keeping her conscious, she would lose control. Her body couldn’t regulate anything, her senses were either overloaded or useless. 

—What are you doing here? —Yoohyeon seemed both annoyed and confused, frowning slightly and with her eyes struggling to stay open. 

—Well, this is my room. —Minji pointed out, finally getting rid of the dirty cloak she hadn’t cared to remove and carelessly throwing it in the chair. 

—Then why am I here? —out of the corner of her eye Minji saw the grey haired witch slumping back down into the bed and rubbing her eyes. 

—Because I wasn’t going to leave you unconscious in the hallway. —it was a stupid question, but Minji answered it anyway because Yoohyeon’s head was probably as messy as her own, plus a headache. 

She opened a drawer and took out a simple nightgown for her and another for Yoohyeon. 

—I was going to take you to the guest room... —Minji was really tired, she didn’t wanted to have this conversation but she knew she had to. The sooner she worked it out the sooner she could move on from it. —but your human is in it. 

Yoohyeon knew it was coming, but she wasn’t expecting Minji to be so straightforward about it. She sat back up but regretted it immediately when she felt like her head was being hammered from the inside. She stayed silent, not really sure of what to say.

—Why? —Minji asked out loud, though she didn’t expected and answer. She took off her boots and started to undo the lacing in her dress—Why bring a human? —this time, she was expecting an answer. She hated how rough and judgmental she sounded, but she had to get it done.

—I don’t know I just... —Yoohyeon trailed off, covering her face with her hands in frustration. 

She really didn’t know. After their small argument Yoohyeon managed to cool down and get a hold of her emotions. In fact, she was so calm she wasn’t even tempted enough to kill one or two careless humans that roamed around the darkness on their own, sometimes surprisingly close to where she was hiding. It wasn’t until she entered the loud building that her self control started to waver. 

The first thing she saw was Minji, who had managed to dodge a direct blow to her head and was striking back. She took him out quickly and without much effort, but she was getting cornered into the wall by at least half a dozen man. Yoohyeon kept walking towards the door, her fists tightly clenched, making the most out of Minji’s distraction and trying to keep her mind focused on her goal. However, she couldn’t help but take one last look at Minji, concern clearly plastered all over her face. 

What if Minji was hurt badly? What if she was captured? Tortured or killed? She needed to do something, but she couldn’t go back to help her, that would ruin the entire plan. When she got to the bottom of the stairs she saw a single door, half open and a small streak of light coming out of it. Peaking through the small opening she saw Bora chained up like an animal in the middle of the room, but she wasn’t alone. The entire place was unguarded since everyone seemed to be upstairs focused on the intruder, but Yoohyeon wasn’t counting on having someone inside the cell with Bora. At that moment the decision was clear: knock out the human, take them and Bora back to Minji’s. That way, if anything had gone wrong -which it did- they would have some sort of advantage or leverage, if it didn’t she could take them back if she wanted. 

While Yoohyeon tried to find a way to explain all of that to Minji, the red haired witch had quickly changed into her nightclothes and sat next to Yoohyeon with a basin full of water and some clean cloths. 

—What are you doing? —instead of answering, Minji gently pushed her hair to the side and started to clean the dried blood off her face. 

—Lay back. You have a fever. 

—You don’t have to do this, you know? —despite how reluctant she sounded, Yoohyeon laid back and allowed Minji to gently dab her forehead with cold water. 

—I know. 

Minji seemed to be in some sort of trance, her attention fully dedicated to Yoohyeon, making the younger girl feel strange and vulnerable under her gaze. 

—Im sorry, I messed up. —she finally apologized, letting her body relax under Minji’s touch. —I shouldn’t have done that it just... felt like the right thing at the time. —she was too tired and confused to explain why, but she hoped Minji would settle with that. —I’ll take her back tomorrow, I promise. 

Though Yoohyeon wasn’t sure why, she felt the need to promise that to Minji, to reassure her she’d make everything right. At the same time, Minji desperately wanted to believe it. 

—Thank you. —she finally answered with a nod, placing the basin and cloths on the nightstand. —But I don’t think you’ll be able to use your powers for days. 

Yoohyeon seemed too sleepy and tired to change so she settle with removing the girls boots and her cloak, leaving her in tight yet comfortable leather. 

—Why on earth would you drain yourself like that?—Minji asked as she tucked both Yoohyeon and herself into bed. 

—Because you were going to do it and you could die. —Yoohyeon answered calmly and shrugged under the covers. The red haired witch was surprised to get a reply, thinking the other woman was already asleep. 

—You don’t even know Dami. —she fired back before blowing out the last candle on her bedside table. 

Silence enveloped the room and Minji made herself comfortable into bed. 

—You care about her. —Yoohyeon answered, already half asleep. —That was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not really happy with all of it, please let me know what you think. Good or bad just let me know! Also I didn’t proofread and english isn’t my first language so I apologize for the mistakes and lack of vocabulary :) Suayeon is coming next I swear.   
> I have millions of ideas bc of the Rose blue Mv so updating this might take a while. Idk if anyone is interested but I’ll probably make a rose blue short story. I’m sorry if If was kinda disappointing and ily if you read this far. Bai


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora is back with the ones she loves, but after bolting into the guess room where the strange woman is in, she has a lot of explaining to do. Also more relationship and character development I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shamelessly back after more than two months (?) but it’s Siyeon day so I figured why not.  
> To everyone who left nice comments and kudos thank you so much! They motivated me to keep going and I’d appreciate it if you’d comment again just to know who came back I guess?  
> Anyway hope you enjoy :)

Siyeon desperately gasped for air, her vision blurry and a thin layer of sweat coating her forehead. She’d experienced night terrors since she was a child and most of the times, when she was calm enough to think properly, she found them quite amazing and wrote them down on a small journal. Later she would analyze them trying to find a meaning to it all, but often got lost on her own thoughts, awed by how her brain managed to put together intricate and unbelievable scenarios based purely off feelings, memories and sometimes even smells. 

However, the dizziness and pounding headache was definitely not normal. It was only after a minute of catching her breath that she realized this wasn’t a usual nightmare. The room kept spinning, the walls seemed to wobble and her eyes felt heavy. 

She pinched the inside of her arm to make sure that she was awake, which suddenly made her aware of everything she could feel on her body. A red velvety fabric covered the bed she seemed to be laying on, the soft texture doing nothing to calm her nerves. Where was she? It did not help when she discovered her boots where gone, her feet now only covered by her least favorite wool socks. Siyeon wiggled her toes frantically, as if the action would make the shoes appear. 

Panic started to settle in her chest, feeling the room was too small and needing some air. She stood up quickly and tumbled her way around the dimly lit room, supporting herself on the bedpost as the floor seemed to move and the entire room kept spinning. What she thought was a temporary discomfort soon started to get stronger and she let out what she felt were desperate screams, when in reality where only soft muttered whimpers and choked sobs. 

Still, she made her way towards the window, even if she wasn’t sure about it being real or just part of her distorted perception of reality. However, the second she let go of the bedpost and took a small step forward she felt the floor moving faster and she was sure her head was being hammered from the inside. She ended up knocking over many things she was sure weren’t there before and falling on her knees just a few steps away from the window. 

Finally she managed to drag herself to the windowsill, but she was unable to stand up. Defeated, confused and very frustrated with her own body, she decided to lean her back against the wall and buried her face on her hands, suddenly aware of the wet trails her tears had left. 

She felt her mind being slowly and gently enveloped by a somewhat comforting darkness, her head falling back into the wall as her consciousness slipped away. 

***

Bora rolled around the bed half asleep, looking for Gahyeon’s comforting presence and frowning when she realized the younger girl was no longer there. She sat up on the bed and groaned in pain, only then realizing the four woman standing right in front of the door. 

—I told you you’re too loud! You woke her up! —Gahyeon whispered to Dami. 

—I did not! And you don’t get to call me loud! —before their little argument could continue, Bora let out a raspy chuckle that was loud enough for her to gain their attention. 

—Morning sunshine. —Handong said as she walked up to her bed, shyly followed by the other three. —You look great. —as always, her remark was full of the sarcasm everyone in the house had gotten used to. 

—Thanks Dongie, you look like crap. —it wasn’t a lie, Handong looked more tired than usual, with noticeable bags under her eyes and the bright orange of her hair was fading away, which she knew was something the human girl hated. 

—Always a gentlewoman, Bora. —Minji said with a warm smile attempting to hide her worry.

—Now, get out. —Handong said in a calm yet very demanding tone. 

—What? Why? —Both Dami and Gahyeon whined. 

—I need to check her. Plus, you —she pointed at Gahyeon— need to go change and take a bath. —Dami laughed at the youngest, earning a threatening smile from Handong, who was now pointing at her —And you, need to collect the herbs I asked you for. 

Now it was Gahyeon’s turn to laugh, thought it wasn’t long before Minji pushed them out the door. 

—You too Minji. —Handong said as the woman was hesitant to leave. She nodded and gave Bora a sad smile before leaving. 

—Hey! I wanted to talk to Minji! —Bora protested while Handong sat on her bed. She didn’t really wanted to talk, she didn’t thought she had enough energy anyway, but she knew what Handong was gonna say and wanted to delay it as much as possible. 

—How are you feeling? —the orange haired girl asked in a serious tone, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing her hand on Bora’s forehead. 

—I’m fine. 

—You’re burning up.

Saying Handong was concerned was an understatement. She had never seen the other one so badly hurt, so weak and so... human. No, human was not the word, no human could’ve ever lived to see another day with those injuries. 

—Something must’ve gotten infected. —she muttered, mostly to herself— You’re anything but fine. 

—Is that your diagnosis? —Bora chucked, which made her entire body hurt and she let out a pained groan. Handong frowned and glared at her with one of the scariest looks a human had ever given her, but Bora would never admit that. —Fine, everything hurts and I’ve never been this close to death, is that what you wanted to hear? 

—If that’s the truth then yes. —Handong smirked, perfectly hiding her concern from the older girl. 

—It’s not that bad. I mean I haven’t had many near death experiences and- 

—Bora...—Handong called to interrupt her nervous rant, but the other girl chose to ignore her. 

—I mean I probably just need to rest and some of your herb things...

—Bora. —she placed her hand on top of Bora’s to get her to listen. —You need to feed. —the injured girl gulped and looked away. 

—I fed three days ago and I had enough blood to last me for weeks...

—And you lost all that and some of yours. —Handong stated bluntly, regaining Bora’s attention. 

—I’d finally managed to go more than three weeks without it, almost four. 

Silence settled in the room, both girls lost in their own thoughts. 

About two years ago, after many attempts to do it on her own, Bora decided to ask Handong to help her with her feeding, so she would eventually need little to no blood to live. The girl was surprised because, for starters, she was the only human in the house, making her the person with the least amount of knowledge on the matter. Then there was the fact that Handong did not see any harm on Bora’s feeding habits since she’d managed to get them under control over the course of the years and could thrive on animal’s blood. Besides, when she actually needed human blood, Handong had always been a willing donor. 

Thanks to Handong’s guidance they’d not only made progress with Bora, but also managed to develop a way for Gahyeon to do the same after her “transition”, just in case she ever wanted to do the same. 

Without realizing, Bora’s eyes had trailed down the girl’s hand that remained on top of hers, the tender flesh of her wrist making her pupils dilate. Handong, who had been looking at her friend closely, called her out gently. 

—I’m sorry. —Bora looked away in shame and moved away from the girl. 

—I’ve told you there’s no need to apologize. —Handong reached out for Bora’s hand and squeezed it to comfort her. 

Still, Bora wouldn’t look at her. 

Suddenly, Handong slipped her arms underneath the girls legs and neck to carry her from the bed bridal style. 

—What are you doing?! —Bora’s loud yell made her ears hurt, but that didn’t stop her from lifting her up with ease. 

—I’m carrying you down to the cellar. —she said with decision, her orange hair getting all over the smaller girls face. 

—I can walk! 

—Fine. —Handong dropped her back on the bed gently and waited with her arm crossed on her chest. 

Not without a lot of effort and grunting, Bora stood up and took a couple of steps towards Handong before her knees started to give in. Foreseeing this, the younger girl was ready to support her and swiftly slipped her her arm around the others waist. 

Quietly, both women made their way to the door leading to the cellar. 

Bora had picked this room with that exact purpose. Everything was just like the others, except for the door right next to the bathroom that led to the cellar where she fed. She had no idea why the original owner of the house had decided that was a good idea or what they kept there, but she was glad she didn’t have to go through the house every time she wanted to feed and could keep her shameful habit to herself. 

—How much do you think I need? —Bora whispered shyly as they made their way down the cold stairs. 

—I don’t know. —Handong stayed quiet for a while before adding —I guess when you feel like it’s enough. 

It’s never enough. 

Bora knew there wasn’t an answer for her question, but it was worth to try. Sometimes, her monstrous instincts would kick in and it felt like she could go on forever and never get enough blood. Other times, she couldn’t bring herself to do it even if she needed it. 

She had been so lost on her own thoughts she didn’t realize they’d reached the end of the stairs, her fangs progressively coming out as the smell of blood became more intense. 

—I think there’s enough in there. —Handong muttered in a serious tone.—Do you want me to wait for you? —she asked softly, knowing how sensitive Bora could be right after feeding, but the girl shook her head quickly. 

—I’m fine. Go take care of your witchy children or something. —she joked, her fangs poking out as she smiled. 

—They’re Minji’s children. —she argued as she turned around and climbed up the stairs. 

—Minji is one of the children! —Bora yelled as the orange head of hair disappeared, leaving her alone. 

With a deep breath and a shaky hand, Bora pushed the door open and allowed her instincts to take over. 

***

After staring for more than five minutes at her reflection in the mirror, making sure there were no traces of blood anywhere on her body, she walked out of the room. 

She hated this. She hated the overwhelming wave of anxiety that came after she fed. She hated having to take a bath every time, seeing the water turn red and the small spots all over the floor. She hated having to double check in the mirror before she left the room to make sure there were no traces of blood.

She hated it all, but she couldn’t help it. 

Whatever happened after, she didn’t care. While she was feeding something would take over, sometimes remaining human enough to have some control over the situation, but other times she wouldn’t even remember what happened. 

She kept telling herself it was a need, after all, she physically couldn’t survive without blood once in a while. Still, every time she saw her wounds heal and could feel herself getting stronger with every drop, she felt some twisted kind of joy and power, but it didn’t last long. After a while, the monster inside of her would disappear, leaving her with nothing but guilt and self hatred. 

It wasn’t until she heard voices coming from the end of the hall that she realized she’d unconsciously made her way to the first floor. 

—You need to talk to her.

She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of her home and her friends, but sensing something different... something foreign. She brushed it off, it was probably her own smell. 

—I will! Just give me time I- —Minji sounded tired and, what was very unlike her, annoyed. 

Bora calmly made her way towards the four women who hadn’t seen her yet. 

—What about the human? We can’t wait for-

—What human? —Bora asked, her voice loud and clear but still a little raspy. The group, who’d been facing back to her all this time, turned around, Gahyeon’s eyes wide in surprise. 

—You’re up! —the youngest girl greeted, trying to play off her mistake. Still, she walked to her with a wide genuine smile and hugged her. 

The rest of the group followed, Handong and Dami first and finally Minji. 

—What human? —Bora whispered, her voice low and deep so close to Minji’s ear it sent a shiver down her spine. 

Before she could get an answer, Handong’s exaggerated cough interrupted them. 

—Well, I need to dye my hair and I need Dami’s magic for that so, we’re off. 

—Can I at least make it purple this time? —the short haired girl asked, not really excited about using her powers on hair, but understanding the situation, she was not going to risk being in the middle of an argument with those two. 

—Wait for me, I can help!— Gahyeon chases after the two girls walking away. 

The second the three figures disappeared at the end of the hall, Bora turned around to look at Minji in the eye, who stared back apologetically. 

—Minji. —Bora called raising an eyebrow, prompting her to talk. 

—I’ll explain it all, let’s just... go to your room. —she started walking towards the stairs leading to Bora’s room, the smaller girl following her with impatience. —We were-

—Let me guess. —Bora interrupted, clearly annoyed at what happened, or what she believed had happened. —Yoohyeon helped you, got me out of there and went back to the village to terrorize everyone and collect her week’s dinner, is that it? 

Minji stares at her wide eyed, not because she was right in some ways but because she sounded pissed. It wasn’t unusual for Bora to get riled up easily, but it was never something serious and she wouldn’t take it out on others, especially her. 

—Well...

—Can you really say I’m wrong? —Bora pushed, even if she was aware of the look of surprise and the brief pain in Minji’s eyes, she wasn’t going to back down. 

—Well you’re not right. —Minji said hesitantly, making her way up the stairs. —But you’re not wrong either. 

This time Bora waited, allowing Minji to take a deep breath before continuing. 

—When she got you out, it wasn’t just you. 

Bora’s body froze, stopping in the middle of the staircase. She felt a knot forming in her stomach with just the idea of...

—Bora? —Minji asked worried, a couple of steps higher since she hadn’t realized the younger girl had stopped. —Are you okay? What’s wrong? —the concern in her voice was enough for Bora to snap out and shake her head quickly in denial. 

—Nothing, nothing. Who did she bring? 

She knew the answer. 

—Some woman, she was with you in the cell I-

Vanilla. The foreign smell had a hint of vanilla. 

Finally, everything clicked in her brain. 

She ran down the stairs with desperation, letting her steps be guided by her enhanced sense of smell. 

—Bora! Where are you going? —Minji chased after her, but her yells were drowned by Bora’s thoughts. 

She reached the hall and immediately made her way towards the guest rooms, slamming open the first door, where the smell was the strongest. 

The bed was empty, but messy and there were pieces of broken vases everywhere. Panic started to settle in Bora’s stomach, where was she? What if she...

Her own rambling thoughts where interrupted when she saw her, curled up in a ball right next to the window, without moving. 

Was she dead already? 

Slowly, Bora started to approach her, the elegant and overly confident woman she’d met was now a frail figure, hair covering all of her features. However, as she was about to move it away, a strong hand stopped her own mid air. 

Before she had time to say anything, she was pulled back by that same hand, but the smaller girl wouldn’t take her eyes off the human. 

—Bora what the hell! —Minji yelled, but she didn’t react until she saw the woman’s chest go up and down, slowly and almost imperceptible but enough for her to notice. 

She was alive. 

Minji dragged her out of the room and locked the door behind her before turning to look at Bora, who was just starting to even her breathing. For some unknown reason, she felt a wave of relief the second she realized the girl was unconscious and did not seem harmed at first glance. 

—What was that?! —the truth is, Bora didn’t knew either. 

Why did she care so much anyway? 

The second she’d realized who the human was, an unknown force from the deepest part of her chest took over, leading her to the woman. Maybe it was pure instinct, or just some twisted need to protect the one person that had treated her like a human, but it rational. 

She convinced herself that it wasn’t really her, it was the animal instincts she couldn’t suppress, specially after feeding. It would’ve happened with anyone, right? 

Minji’s firm hands shaking her shoulders kept her from finding an answer to her question. 

—Sorry, I’m sorry I- 

—What happened? —Minji released the grip she had on her shoulders, letting them slide down to grab the younger girl’s hands in a comforting way. 

Bora looked around the hall, not wanting anyone else to hear them. 

—Lets go to your room.— she said, leading Minji upstairs. 

—Actually... —she spoke when they reached the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath before continuing— Yoohyeon is there.

The smaller girl turned around to look at her with surprise that soon turned into anger, but finally gave Minji a mischievous smirk. 

—Much better. —before the red headed girl could ask, Bora turned around and yelled, her voice was probably heard in the two neighboring villages. 

—KIM YOOHYEON! 

Wen she stormed into the room, the grey haired witch was sitting upright in the bed, glaring at the door with a sleepy yet clearly furious expression. 

—Morning to you too, Bora. —without a warning, the smaller girl jumped to the bed, tackling down Yoohyeon and pinning her down on the bed. 

—Bora what the fuck! —she yelled, trying to free herself from the girls tight grip but still too weak to do so. 

—Bora! —Minji called, approaching the two women with a concerned but slightly amused look. —Get off her, please. 

—I’m just giving her a warm welcome —she said, standing up slowly with a big smirk plastered on her face. 

—What do you want? —Yoohyeon was not in the mood for a fight, especially a fight against Bora, those never ended well. 

—What I want is for you to explain me what the fuck where you thinking when you decided to take the Duchess as-

—The what?! —Minji interrupted, her eyes wide open in shock. 

—I didn’t knew that. —Yoohyeon retorted, trying to defend herself. 

—How do you know that?

—Well... —Bora looked away, scanning Minji’s room as if she hadn’t been there before. —It’s a long story. —she knew she’d have to tell them everything, but she had no idea where to begin. 

—I’ve got time. —Minji plopped down on her bed right next to Yoohyeon, who simply nodded at the smaller girl standing in front of them. 

And so, she told them everything, up until the moment she was rescued. The only thing she kept to herself were the disgusting rape threats issued by the guards to both her and Gahyeon, and some of the details on her torture to spare poor Minji, who kept shaking uncontrollably in what could be either anger or sadness. 

—So... —Minji stood up, tears already rolling down her cheeks and her voice weak and shaky. —you- you were going to let them kill you? You gave up? 

—Minji don’t cry... —she wiped the girl’s tears with her thumb, keeping her hand cupping the older girl’s cheek. —It doesn’t matter now, I’m here. 

—It does matter. —she gently grabbed Bora’s hand to squeeze it with her own. —You knew we’d be back for you, right? 

—Of course I did, I just... —it wasn’t a lie, she knew Minji and the others would try to get her out. —I was hoping you wouldn’t. That you’d be far away from this rotten village, somewhere safe. 

—We could never leave you. I could never leave you. 

Without noticing, tears had gathered in her eyes and, before they could fall, she hugged Minji tightly in her arms, as if she could lose her at any moment. 

Yoohyeon, who had watched the entire scene attentively, couldn’t help but be jealous. Minji had never looked at her like that, not that she could recall anyway. And it wasn’t just about Minji, had it been anyone else she’d feel the same. 

What had she done to deserve this? 

“A lot” She answered to herself. Even if she ever had a relationship like Minji and Bora, she would probably find a way to ruin it anyway. 

She took a deep breath before coughing loudly, getting both women’s attention. 

—So what now? Do I just drop her back in the village? 

—No. —Bora was quick to reply, a little too quick for her own liking. —I mean, it’s not that easy, they’ll come after us right away. 

—How would they find you?— Yoohyeon shot back quickly. 

—If this woman, who’s probably awake by now, has any sense of direction, she’ll figure it out eventually. And even if she doesn’t, they’ll know where relatively close. 

—But-

—We need to have a house meeting. —Minji interrupted suddenly. She’d been staring blankly at the wall thinking of god know what during the entire conversation. 

—A what? —both women asked in unison. 

—You know, gather all the girls so we can discuss it together.— she stopped to look at them with a wide smile before adding— A house meeting. 

—Fine. —Bora agreed not only because Minji’s bright smile could convince her of anything, but also because she had no idea what else they could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was it! I planned to make this one shorter but... they keep getting longer I think. I apologize for any mistakes english isn’t my first language and I proofread at night lol.  
> Leave comments with any suggestions and let me know if you want shorter chapters.  
> Also I’m not sure about my writing style idk if it’s too detailed or long so if you wanna comment on that please go ahead!  
> I swear I’ll update soon I’m already writing it. Siyeon and Bora... alone in a room.


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, they finally meet. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! I’m back after a month hihihi. This chapter is longer I think? I hope you enjoy! Leave comments with what you think!!  
> I apologize for spelling mistakes, English isn’t my first language :)

The idea was to have Bora tell her story and what she knew about the woman so far, sparing the gruesome details of course. Minji would answer any questions and decide what to do, while Yoohyeon would just sit quietly and listen; that was the plan. 

It didn’t go exactly like that, mainly because Yoohyeon would not stop teasing Handong. Not that she was afraid of the other younger girls, but she knew if she so much touched a single hair on their heads Bora and Minji would have hers. Their apprentices were not to be messed with, but they did not seem to be so overprotective with the human. 

Handong, however, didn’t mind it at all and would answer back quickly with an equally teasing and sometimes flirty comment. Yoohyeon, who had never met a human that acted so carelessly around her, was as annoyed as she was intrigued, but gave up trying to get under her skin after the twentieth scold from Minji. 

In the end, it was Handong the one who came up with a plan, or at least the safest course of action. 

They decided that, before doing anything with the Duchess, they had to know what was going on in the village. Where, who and how many where looking for the Duchess was their main concern, along with finding out how much the townsfolk knew about them. For all of that, they needed someone to go there. 

Bora was instantly ruled out despite her protests, but in the end she knew it was too risky and they would recognize her immediately. Gahyeon and Dami were ruled out too because, after what happened, Bora would not let the youngest go too far on her own and they’d almost lost Dami once, they were not willing to go through that again. That left Handong, who had to go to town anyways to get supplies for the month, Yoohyeon and Minji who, even if she risked being recognized, was not going to leave those two alone. 

Handong went separately, since she was a frequent visitor to the village I’d be easier for her to find out something from the casual gossip at the market. Minji and Yoohyeon decided to look for the place the Duke was staying while keeping a close eye on Handong. 

The three women left at the crack of dawn and, to keep the younger girls from attempting something dumb, Bora allowed them to go hunting on the nearby woods. 

That left her alone with the human. 

Siyeon. 

Even if that hadn’t been her intention at first, she found herself excited at the idea of being alone with her. 

They’d agreed that, since the woman had already seen Bora, she’d be responsible for any direct interaction with her, like giving her food, water and making sure she was comfortable enough. However, Minji never specified it should be limited to that. 

The second she could no longer hear Gahyeon and Dami’s footsteps, she ran to the door leading to the stranger’s room, but halted before she could grab the door handle. 

What was she going to do? What was she supposed to say? 

Bora started pacing around the corridor, letting out a loud sight. 

“I just want to make sure she’s fine” somehow this thought wasn’t convincing enough. She couldn’t find a good explanation as to why she felt so drawn to this woman, but kept telling herself it was only because she was thankful and perhaps a little curious about her, about who she was and what in the Devil’s name she was thinking when she decided going into that cell was a good idea. 

“She’s probably still unconscious anyway” she reassured herself before approaching the door, but her assumption was proved wrong even before she reached it. 

—Is someone there? —the woman’s voice made her jump back in surprise and then freeze on her spot. —Who’s there? —this time her voice was louder, but kept the deep and soothing tone that made it so unique. 

With a deep breath, Bora decided to just go in and see what happened. She didn’t owe the girl anything, she had no reason to care about what she thought and they’d probably never see each other again. After all she went through, maybe it was time for her to have some fun. 

Bora smirked at her own thought and pushed the door open, full of newly found confidence. 

Siyeon, who was standing cautiously a few feet from the door jumped back in surprise, almost falling down had it not been for the bedpost. Her eyes were wide open in fear, but it seemed to decrease slightly when she recognized the petite figure in front of her. 

—S- Sua? —her voice was small and her hands were noticeably shaking. 

It took Bora some time to realize the woman was talking to her, since she had completely forgotten what name she’d given the Duke. However, she managed to hide her confusion perfectly, putting on the most threatening smirk and walking slowly to the woman. 

—It’s ironic, really —she started, not sure where she was going, but her mouth seemed to be ahead of her brain —how the tables have turned. 

It wasn’t really what was on her mind nor was that the best she could’ve said, but first impressions were no longer an option and Bora had decided to simply not care. 

She took some time to take in the Duchess appearance, who’s dark cloak was carelessly thrown in the floor and her shoes where nowhere to be seen. Now that the cloak was gone, she could take a clear look at the woman, who had a plain white shirt tucked into dirty beige pants, the same as the night they met. 

All of this, however, were some of the last things she noted, since her eyes were immediately glued on the woman’s face. She remembered she was beautiful, her sharp features and her wolf-like eyes that had only shown her kindness, but she thought her memories were distorted from so much blood loss. 

She was right. 

This woman was way more than that. She wasn’t just beautiful, she looked ethereal. 

Even with the messy hair covering her face, even with the slight puffiness underneath her eyes and the stunned expression, the woman looked like what Bora thought angels, goddesses or any divine being would look like. 

It took all of her willpower to keep an expressionless face and divert her attention to something that wasn’t the jaw dropping human in front of her. 

Bora started to look at the room, slowly turning around and taking her time as if she’d never seen it before, her eyes lingering on the mess next to the window. Without saying anything, the vampire walked up to small table turned on the floor and placed it were it was. Of course, she couldn’t care less about the state of the room, but she wanted to give the woman (and herself) some time to take it all in. 

Siyeon, however, only took it as and invitation to speak, her mind too far gone to care about the fact that she was just told she’s a prisoner to one of the most dangerous people she’d ever meet. 

—H how-... wha- why. —she couldn’t make a single coherent sentence, not because she was afraid to ask, but because she had too many questions it was impossible to get her thoughts in order.

Bora turned around slowly, giving her a genuinely amused smirk. 

—A lot of questions I see. —Bora sat down on the ottoman chair with what Siyeon thought was unnatural swiftness and elegance. —Care to share them? 

Bora decided to stare out the window, both to give the girl more space and to keep her expressions hidden. 

—And you’re gonna answer them? —she asked cautiously, not believing or understanding anything the other woman said. 

—If I feel like it. —Bora spared her a glance before looking back at the landscape. She had a hard time suppressing a laugh when she saw the woman’s exaggerated yet seemingly genuine incredulity plastered all over her face. —Go on. 

—I- I’m- how long has it been? 

The question made Bora’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise at first. Was that really her main concern?, how long she’d been unconscious? 

Then she realized why. 

—You were out the rest of the night and part of the morning so about... fifteen —she paused dramatically, only meaning to make the girl more anxious. —hours. —Siyeon sighted in relief, but her brows furrowed as this answer only raised more questions. 

—Then how are you... alive? 

Bora scoffed before placing her legs over the armrest, now facing the woman who had taken a few steps towards her. 

—Secrets of the trade, sweetie. —she waved it off with her hand nonchalantly. 

Siyeon sat down on the edge of the bed, pinching the skin on the back of her hand absentmindedly. That wasn’t an answer, it only gave her more questions. 

—What are you doing here? 

—Just checking in, making sure my distinguished guest has everything she needs. —Siyeon rolled her eyes at the term, since “guest” couldn’t be further from the truth. 

—Where are we? —she decided that, for now, she’d bombard Sua with questions until she got answers, or pissed her off, whatever happened first. Not that she wasn’t scared of her, but for some reason Siyeon didn’t feel like she was the type of woman to lose her cool easily. Plus, if she wasn’t dead already, it was for a reason. 

—Still within your beloved husband’s land, don’t worry. —of course, her voice was full of mockery, but Siyeon couldn’t care less about what she thought about her and her husband, since she herself couldn’t care less about him at all at this point. 

—I’m- —she was gonna argue with her, tell her beloved was far off, but maybe it was a good thing that she believed they loved each other, that they cared for each other. —Is there anyone else here? —she asked after a deep breath. 

—No. 

—Then where’s Yoohyeon? 

The room seemed to freeze. 

She’d meant to keep that name to herself, that small and foggy memory of someone coming into the cell before she blacked out being the one thing she thought may help her. Though the words were blurted out without carefully considering it, Siyeon knew she’d done the right thing when she saw the shocked expression on the others face, eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape. 

Silence filled the room, so Siyeon took it as her chance to push. 

—Why am I even here? —in a bold and perhaps stupid action she stood up, taking a couple of steps towards the other woman — What do you want from me?! what do you plan to do with me?!

Panic started to rise on her chest, the knot on her throat making it hard to breathe and she felt herself getting lightheaded. The seriousness of her situation had just began to sink in, starting with the realization that her life was on that woman’s hands. 

Was she going to be confined to that room forever?, never see anyone else again?, never feel the freedom of late night walks on the forest? 

Probably not, but it was way worse than that. 

Her dad, the few friends she had... she didn’t even get to say goodbye. 

Her breathing was irregular and kept speeding up, the more she thought about it more tears started to well up on her eyes. 

Bora, who’d been staring blankly at the woman, was mentality scolding herself for saying Yoohyeon’s name out loud when she noticed the effect the woman’s own outburst had on her. She stood up slowly, not knowing what to do and scared of making it worse. 

When Siyeon noticed the smaller woman approaching her she took a couple of steps back, suddenly too afraid of her. She had every reason to be scared now, she’d been kidnapped by this strange woman with fangs and God knows what else. 

What if she was a monster? 

After all, the woman wasn’t human, not completely at least. Besides, monster or not, she was knocked out and kidnapped by her, there had to be a reason and it couldn’t be a good one. Her own husband had tortured Sua until she was on the brink of death, she couldn’t exactly expect to be treated nicely. 

—Why am I here?! —she broke down, her voice weak and interrupted by choked sobs. She buried her face in her hands, her disheveled hair tangled on her hands and sticking to her tear stained face. 

The truth is, Bora went into the room expecting that, wishing that. 

She wasn’t sadistic nor did she wanted to hurt her in any way, but she did expected to scare the other woman, or at least make her a little less comfortable around her. The thought of physically hurting Siyeon had never crossed her mind, but... her idea of fun wouldn’t be pleasant for the other girl either. 

However, when she saw her like that, crying and shaking on the verge of a breakdown, she wasn’t sure that was really what she wished for. 

Wasn’t that what she wanted? To scare her to death and live up to her monster fame? 

Yes. 

At this point it was part of her nature, almost like an automatic response to anyone unfamiliar, to scare them away before they had a chance to hurt her. 

Seeing Siyeon like that... it made her feel something different.

She didn’t feel like smiling or felt as pleased as she usually did when humans had that reaction. Scaring her off and keeping her distance where far from what she wanted, and it confused her. 

She just wanted to...hug her, comfort her in some way to make her feel slightly better. 

Of course, she couldn’t do that. If she did, Siyeon would think she has a soft spot or that she cared. 

Bora walked up to the trembling woman, who could no longer walk back since she was met with the edge of the bed. Her sobs would only get louder as she got closer but the smaller woman kept walking forward with a steady pace and a blank expression. 

Gently but with a firm grip, Bora grabbed the woman’s shoulders, making her body freeze on the spot and her head shot up in surprise, her eyes wide open and fixed on nothing but her own. Those wolf like eyes with deep dark brown orbs seemed to be scanning her, slowly taking in all  
of her. 

Siyeon’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the woman in front of her. 

She’d heard about vampires being unnaturally beautiful, almost surreal but this woman... 

She wasn’t exactly that. 

Her beauty was indeed exceptional, the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Maybe it was the hopelessly romantic girl within her, but Siyeon could’ve sworn that this woman was carved by the gods themselves and so they decided their masterpiece was meant to last for a long time, if not forever. The fangs didn’t seem to be something abnormal or out of place, they looked rather suiting with her blood red lips, and her eyes... those deep brown orbs seemed to hold an entire universe, you could stare at them for hours and always find something new. 

However, it wasn’t surreal and it didn’t feel unnatural. She could feel the warmth of the woman’s hands on her shoulders and her eyes held so many emotions, so much humanity in them she couldn’t possible think of her as something inhuman, definitely not as a monster. 

Suddenly, all of those emotions seemed to be wiped away and buried underneath a cold and calm expression. 

The light shake on her shoulders brought her back to reality, diverting her gaze to her feet and wiping away her tears. 

—You’re here —her voice was calm and deep, only slightly louder than a whisper— because of Yoohyeon. 

Siyeon frowned at the answer, since it wasn’t exactly what she was expecting and it only confused her more. 

—Yoohyeon is —“an idiot” Bora thought to herself, but she couldn’t just say it like that— she’s a little... impulsive, couldn’t stick to the plan. 

Bora sighed and loosened the grip on the others shoulders, letting her hands trail down her arms before taking a step back. 

—So —Siyeon sniffled, trying to get herself together— you don’t want me here? 

—I don’t. —Bora stated bluntly. For some reason, she didn’t feel like that was entirely true. 

—Does that mean I get to go back?— Bora let out a tired sight, pinching the bridge of her nose before replying. 

—It’s not that easy. 

—Please, I swear I won’t do anything to- 

—No, Siyeon. —her voice was deeper and firm. Bora tried to keep an expressionless face, but it was actually the first time she said the other’s name out loud and she liked it, perhaps more than she should’ve. 

Siyeon was ready to insist, but her pleadings got caught on her throat when she heard her name. She didn’t expect her to remember it, and the way it rolled of her tongue made her feel warmth blooming on her chest. She decided she liked hearing it too. 

—There should be some clothes in there. —Bora said pointing at the closet after an exaggeratedly loud cough to get the others attention. —Change into whatever you’d like, I’ll be back soon.— this time it wasn’t hard to put on a serious expression, she was genuinely tired and beginning to regret her decision. She wasn’t used to doing this much explaining and hadn’t talked to strangers for years, which made this exchange way more exhausting than it should’ve. 

Siyeon faintly nodded in response before the smaller woman left, though she would’ve liked to ask how soon was “soon”. 

The closet had a surprising amount of clothes, considering the room didn’t belong to anyone. Most of it was filled with dresses, but after looking through the drawers of the dresser she managed to find many clean white shirts piled up and a pair of pants that where too big for her. 

After some consideration she entered the bathroom, washing herself up before changing. The shirt was big and lose just like she wanted, but she had to adjust the pants, using her belt to secure them around her waist and cuffing the end so she wouldn’t trip. 

Bora came back just a few minutes after she got out of the bathroom, finding Siyeon looking at the books on the small shelf near the door. She was startled by the sound of the door opening, almost dropping the book she held in her hand. 

The smaller girl let out a chuckle before leaving the tray she was carrying on the coffee table near the window. She wasn’t exactly sure what kind of food she would like, so she decided to bring a little of everything along with a big jug of water. 

Bread, meat, some leftover rice, a couple of Minji’s pastries, fruits and a strange omelette-like thing Handong liked to make where lined up on different plates, leaving almost no room for the small empty glass. 

It was only when Siyeon looked at the food that she realized her last meal had been lunch of the day before. She thanked the gods her stomach hadn’t grumbled in the middle of their conversation, but now that there was food right in front of her she had to lightly press her arms against her stomach to keep it from growling.

—I brought a bit of everything —Bora said nonchalantly, trailing her fingers on the edge of the table before stepping aside to give Siyeon some space. She nodded towards the tray to encourage the younger girl, who hesitated before walking slowly towards the table. 

The first thing she did was to grab a little pastry with strawberry jam on top, biting it cautiously at first but taking a bigger bite as soon as the sweet and soft flavor hit her tongue. 

Bora stood a couple of feet’s away, looking out the window and fiddling with her hands behind her back.

After finishing the first pastry Siyeon moved closer to the chair, taking quick looks at Sua before finally sitting down. When all the sweets were gone she poured herself a glass of water, drinking it all at once and refilling it again. 

—Yoohyeon —Siyeon’s voice interrupted the silence Bora had hoped to achieve for now, at least long enough to clear up her mind. —is she... is she like you? 

She sighted before turning around, keeping a expressionless face despite how surprised she was that Siyeon asked yet another question. 

—Like me? —she gave her a smirk that made Siyeon halt on the spot with the spoon full of rice right in front of her face. —Oh no, —she walked to the other side of the room before adding wickedly— she’s way worse. 

A chill went down Siyeon’s spine, but before she could ask anything Sua continued. 

—Compared to her, I’m the lesser evil. —she turned around and smiled, fangs shining proudly under the weak sunlight that entered the room.

Siyeon dropped the spoon, trying to make a coherent question but all that came out was senseless mumbling. 

—What does sh-

—Yah! —a loud yell could be heard from far away, followed by a door slamming and loud voices cutting through the silence of the house. 

—I thought you said we were alone. —Siyeon said in a hurry, rushing to look out the window but seeing the same empty garden. She headed for the door slowly, as to not make it seem like she wanted to run away. 

—We were. —Bora responded calmly, making her way to the door before Siyeon could get there. She mentally cursed whoever had entered the house so loudly, interrupting the amusing exchange. 

—Then who-

—They just got here. 

—What? They? 

—Siyeon, —her voice was just as demanding as the first time she said her name, only now it was accompanied by a small and sweet smile. —if I were you, I’d do my best to keep my presence as quiet as I could, ok? They may not be as nice as I’ve been. 

Bora wanted her to believe that, even if she thought Sua wasn’t a threat, she still had to behave because they might be others that were way more cruel. The truth is, she knew that if Siyeon attempted anything the most that could happen was have Minji give her something that would make her lose consciousness, which would surely make the younger girls want to get involved. 

She felt bad for Siyeon, who’s eyes became watery and bit her lip anxiously, indicating that the threat had worked. Bora had to remind herself that there was no reason she should feel pity for her and that she just meant to keep Gahyeon and Dami safe and far away from this issue. 

Bora placed her hand on the door ready to leave, but was surprised when two gentle hands wrapped around her arm. 

—Wait, —Siyeon’s voice was nothing but a shaky whisper— will you... —she gulped, looking directly into Bora’s eyes— will you come back?

The human girl was on the verge of tears and her eyes full of sorrow, making Bora’s heart ache. She gave her a genuine smile, looking down at the hands weakly wrapped on her arm before grabbing them between her own and squeezing them in a light, reassuring way. 

She nodded, but Siyeon still didn’t seem convinced. 

—I promise, I’ll be back tomorrow. —she let go of her hands gently before leaving the room and locking the door behind her. 

Siyeons didn’t wanted to believe her. 

But she did. 

For some reason, she had the firm conviction that it was true, even after hours of trying to convince herself of the opposite. 

In the end, she fell asleep looking forward to their next meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you like it? Feel free to leave comments I love reading them :) really, they’re my motivation to update. I haven’t reply to them because idk what to say but I appreciate them all. I’ll try to update more often maybe with shorter chapters (?)  
> and if you’ve read this far I have a question: how would you feel if I change the tags (and the course of the story ofc) and make it Jiyoodong or just Jiyoo? Idk I’m liking the maknae dynamic so far. let me know what you think!


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for cursing and violence. 
> 
> updated 3 days earlier! (let me consider it progress ㅜㅡㅜ) I apologize for any spelling mistakes or inaccuracies in advanced.   
> I really appreciate all the comments and kudos! let me know what you think about this chapter.

Siyeon woke up with the sunlight hitting right into her face, her cheeks blushed by the heat, but she refused to move from her comfortable spot on the bed. Eventually the light became too unbearable and she forced herself to sit up, rubbing the sleep off her eyes. 

She looked around the unfamiliar room, and her eyes landed on a shiny tray placed right on the middle of the desk. Though the room was a relatively new environment, she didn’t recall that being left there yesterday. Driven by pure, almost childish curiosity, she jumped out of the comfortable bed and walked directly to the table, the cold floor against her bare feet making her shiver. 

It was food. Milk, bread and some pastries to be exact, but her eyes went straight to the small square note left on top of the plate. 

“I told you I’d come back” -S

She couldn’t help but let a out a small giggle, followed by a frown. 

Of course, this wasn’t exactly what she expected nor what she’d planned for. She thought maybe Sua would be back later, giving her enough time to sort out all the questions in her head and decide which ones where worth trying to get an answer to. 

Even if she visited her so early in the morning, she thought she’d be awake, and if she wasn’t, Sua would make enough noise to wake her or leave and come back later. Not even once during the hundreds of scenarios she ran before falling asleep did she expect to get a handwritten note. It felt oddly sweet and comforting, though right now she thought it may also have a teasing undertone. 

It was strange, to say the least, that the small gesture made her smile. Considering the situation she was in and who the note was from, Siyeon was certain that this -whatever it was- wasn’t normal. Then again, nothing about the past day was anywhere near normal. 

She sighted, taking the tray to the table by the window and looking out for what felt like the first time. Much to her dismay, the window had metal bars on the outside and, though the swirls and figures were only meant to be a decoration, it made it impossible for a grown woman like her to fit through it. Other than that, it was a nice view to a portion of the front garden, a big metal gate and tall concrete walls separating it from the outside. The garden was full of dry patches an overgrown weeds, but on a far corner to her right there were some lone flowers blooming. It had definitely seen better, but it could be worse. 

Siyeon sat down to eat, already planning her day. Even though there wasn’t much she could do in that room, she had to do something. 

***

After their first meeting, Bora went on with her day as usual, keeping herself busy to avoid thinking too much into the entire Siyeon situation. The anxiety of waiting for Minji, Handong and Yoohyeon to come back was eating her alive, not because they would probably be back without a solution, but because there was a small chance they wouldn’t come back at all. 

She knew they could handle it, Yoohyeon alone could take an entire village, but what if she left them? Handong could get hurt and Minji..., she would be devastated. 

The three of them arrived safely right after noon, putting her worries to an end. However, one look at Minji and her troubled frown let her know it hadn’t gone as well as they expected. 

They all gathered in the living room, where the younger girls had been resting after the hunt. Minji explained the entire situation with the help of Handong, who added things the other missed.

It was worse that they thought. The entire town was on the look out, with two or three groups of guards looking for Siyeon on the woods and surrounding areas, and another dozen men guarding the Duke himself. According to the butcher Handong talked to, who assured her his wife worked as a maid on the inn the Duke was staying, he didn’t seemed as heartbroken as he was angry. He yelled orders at everyone and even trashed the bathroom out of a sudden anger fit, but he never showed any sadness or grief because of his wife’s kidnaping, only caring about who had kidnapped her. 

Either way and just as they thought, he wouldn’t let it slide. The only good thing was that they believed they couldn’t have gone too far because of Bora’s badly injured body, and they suspected someone on the village was hiding them. Because of that, the guards were knocking on people’s doors and even raiding them unannounced looking for them.

The Duke wasn’t going to stop until they found her, which means they have to take Siyeon back. Of course, it was easier said than done, since they somehow had to be sure she wouldn’t say a thing about what happened, which was almost impossible. 

Almost. 

After five minutes of complete silence, all of them trying to think of something, Gahyeon let out a lout gasp and, before anyone could ask, she grabbed Dami’s arm and ran out of the room dragging the older girl along. 

There was no point in asking, so the silence remained for a while before Handong sighted, running her hands through her hair before speaking. 

—There’s no way... we can’t guarantee she’ll do what we wish. —Yoohyeon let out a humorless laugh and a smirk in response. 

—Oh human.... but there is. —her voice was deep and the demeaning, almost objectifying way she said “human” gave both Bora and Minji chills, but Handong remained unfazed. 

—And that would be...? —Handong wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer, but she was too proud to let anyone talk to her like that. 

—Oh well, since you ask... —she smirked and glanced at Bora, who clenched her fists fully aware of were she was going. —What do you know about vampire slaves?— the human girl gulped, not so much because of the answer but because of the rising tension in the room. 

—Yoohyeon... —Minji whispered lowly, her hand subtly grabbing Bora’s in an attempt to calm her down. At the action, the grey haired witch frowned, but did her best to keep her cool. 

—Yes? I could always turn her into mine... it’s quite simple actually, just a little-

—Yoohyeon. —Bora spoke in a low voice, similar to a growl. 

—What? Oh... —she looked at Minji, who silently begged her to stop. —Do you want her, Bora? Is that it? 

Silence filled the room, everyone waiting for the smaller girl to snap and jump at Yoohyeon, who kept a smug smile on her face, waiting. However, it never came, and Minji loosened her grip on Bora’s arm. 

—Fuck with me all you want Yoohyeon— every word was filled with venom, her eyes raging with anger she could barely contain. —believe I’m a monster like you, but don’t you dare touch her— she paused, taking a deep breath— or anyone else in this house. 

—Or what? —Yoohyeon shot back naturally, raising her brows in a challenging manner. 

—I swear to the gods I will b-

—Here! —Gahyeon, as pertinent as ever, barged into the room dropping one of Dami’s thick books on the table. 

—It’s one of my potion books, —Dami explained when she say the confusion on everyone’s face. —the first one you gifted me, actually. —she added shyly looking at Minji, who’s smile was so bright it lit up the entire room. 

—I remember reading it during my first few weeks here... —she started to flip the pages, too rough for Dami’s liking, who shot her menacing glare that made the younger girl grumble— Before unnie found out and hid it from me. —she said with her brows furrowed, making it hard for Minji to hold her giggle. 

Gahyeon became quiet, completely focused on finding the right page and muttering incoherent thoughts under her breath. 

—What exactly are you looking for? —Bora asked inpatient, walking closer to the younger girl to the point Gahyeon could feel her hot breath against her nape. 

—There was a potion...—she let out a frustrated sight, —I remember thinking how cool it would be to just drink it and... forget.

Bora wrapped her hand around the younger girls waist in comfort, knowing how hard it was for her to talk about her first months with them and not wanting her to feel as if she owed them an explanation. 

—Here! —her loud yell startled everyone else in the room, making Bora hit her arm lightly and covered her ears, groaning in exaggerated pain. Even Yoohyeon who was the furthest from her covered her ears and huffed in annoyance. —Here look! —she turned the book towards Minji, who quickly read the effects in silence before listing the ingredients out loud. 

—Well, we have most of it already —said Handong, after writing down the elements they didn’t have —They’re all easy to gather except for this one...Myosotis ater. 

—I’ve never hear of that one before. —said Dami taking the book in her hands.

—Ironically, it must be a kind of Forget-me-Not—Handong added letting out a humorless chuckle. She knew most botanic books and journals like the back of her hand, but she was completely ufamiliar with this specific kind of Myosotis, which made her feel both frustrated and excited. 

—What does it look like? —Dami asked Minji who only shrugged in response; potions weren’t her strength. 

—Ater... —Handong muttered under her breath, visibly confused— that isn’t Greek, it’s Latin for-

—Black. —Yoohyeon interrupted, her arms folded on her chest as she walked closer to Handong. —It’s a mutated kind of Forget-me-Not, hence why they’re so rare. I found one a long time ago and managed to plant it near the pond on the garden, it just needed a little push and then they started to grow like weeds— she shrugged, waving it off as something unimportant. —I can get them. 

—We can get them. —Minji shoots back immediately, putting extra emphasis on the first word. 

—I can go on my own. 

—I don’t doubt that, but I’m going anyway. —Yoohyeon knew there was no point in fighting her, not when it came to something that involved her and the other girls safety. That would mean trusting her, and that was too much to ask. 

The tension created by them quickly disappeared when Gahyeon started to beg Bora to let her accompany them, but there was no way she would budge. Handong asked Minji if she could go too, getting a sweet but firm denial. Partly because the eldest witch didn’t wanted any of them getting too close to Yoohyeon, and because she knew Handong was the most responsable one and would be needed here. 

Minji and Yoohyeon were set to leave at nightfall, not wanting to waste anymore time. Though Yoohyeon was still weak and Minji had insisted on leaving the next morning so she could rest, the grey haired witch refused, wanting nothing but to get done with it as soon as possible and never have to look at her in the eye ever again. 

***

Bora went back to the guest room that same night, right after Yoohyeon and Minji left.

She had been perhaps a little too eager to take Siyeon’s dinner, which didn’t go unnoticed by Minji. While they said their goodbyes, the older woman pulled her to the side, her expression so uncharacteristically serious Bora became worried. 

—What is it? 

—Look... I know you’ll hate me for saying this but... please, don’t get too close to that girl, ok? —Bora sighted in annoyance, raising her brow prompting her to explain —We don’t know anything about her, for all we know this entire thing was a set up. It could be dangerous just... don’t trust her. 

—What?! —Bora’s eyes seemed to be about to pop out of their sockets— Trust her?, you think I trust her? 

Did she? 

—I’ve met her for a day, why would you say that I’m not even- 

—I know, I know. —Minji interrupted, holding the smaller girls shoulders tightly, sighting before continuing —I just worry about you, I don’t want you to get attached or anything... —at that, Bora snorted, amused by the older girl’s concern .—I don’t want to see you get hurt. 

The genuine concern in her voice made Bora’s eyes soften, and she launched forward to hug the older girl tightly. 

—She’ll forget everything eventually. —Minji said once they broke off.— Keep they in mind. 

Bora hoped Minji didn’t notice the flash of sadness those words caused her. Was it sadness? She didn’t know what she felt, disappointment? She shook her head, trying to make those thoughts go away and started to walk towards to group, saying their final goodbyes. 

After Minji’s warning, the first thing she did was go straight into the humans room. 

***

Despite Siyeon’s efforts to get any useful information, Bora kept the conversation light, making small talk about the room, the house and whatever was brought up. They talked about books, since they were Siyeon’s only distraction and she seemed to like the topic. 

Siyeon demanded an explanation as to why most of the books where about wine, which was not only the most boring thing she could think of reading but what made her particularly mad was that the novels and myths were all the way to the top, used to fill space. Bora only shrugged, explaining that the house wasn’t actually hers and that it seemed to belong to someone who sold wine. She didn’t care too much about reading either, not enough to actually go through all the books in the shelf. 

—I’ll be back tomorrow. —she promised, suddenly standing up and walking out the door, after only twenty minutes. 

The way Siyeon talked about anything —books, the house, herself—, made her want to stay there and listen for hours, watching the girls eyes light up with childlike amusement whenever she got an answer to her questions, as unimportant as it may be. 

Bora knew she shouldn’t, she would get carried away and lose track of time, getting careless with what she spoke. So she stood up and left, even if she could’ve sworn it was physically painful to leave Siyeon alone, with almost perfectly hidden disappointment under a tired expression. 

Almost. 

*** 

The note on the breakfast tray wasn’t necessary next morning. 

Siyeon trusted she’d be back, and Bora knew that. 

In all her 25 years of life, Siyeon had never thought she’d find herself in this situation, much less that it would develop this... good? 

Being locked in a room for days, not knowing when or if she’ll ever get out of it was nerve wracking, to say the least, but she’d managed to distract herself from thinking too much into the future by exploring the room. There weren’t many things to find, and nothing was out of the ordinary, but she spent the entire first day going through all the books in the huge shelf covering the entire wall next to the bathroom door. The ones within reach were mostly about fermentation, wine and other boring business books Siyeon never thought someone would write, or read. However, the ones closest to the top, which seemed to be there to make the bookshelf look full, those were more her type: Greek mythology, fantasy, some of the classics and even a couple of novels she had surprisingly never read. 

She took out a couple she found the most interesting, hiding them in one of the desks drawers just in case her host thought she’d taken the term “guest” too far. It was at the very back of that same drawer that she found a small leather notebook, no bigger than the palm of her hand, with an even smaller pencil tied to it. The sight of it made her feel a wave of warmth spread through her chest, because even if it seemed like nothing but a small forgotten piece of someone else’s life, the fact that she had something to write on brought great comfort to her. 

Her thoughts often got too messy, and writing them down was the only way to untangle them. Most of the time it didn’t end with a concrete answer, sometimes getting far off whatever topic she’d meant to write and flipping a new page only to write a fantasy. They weren’t the kind of fantasies about dragons or fairies, but exaggerations of reality and small changes that led to a rather unusual plot. 

However, she had no time or paper to waste on what her father deemed childish dreams, feeling the need to write down everything that happened, not only to be able to understand but also to try and figure out where she was, who Sua really is and if she had any intentions on letting her leave; alive. 

Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own the second she held the pencil, her thoughts sometimes too fast and skipping a couple of words. First she wrote key words and names, things she’d heard yelled throughout the day. 

After her first full day, it was safe to say there were more than 3 people in the house: Sua, Yoohyeon, someone named Bora and Gahyeon. She wrote it all down on one page before flipping it over and begin with an almost novel like story, doing her best to describe it as detailed as possible but without giving it much thought. 

The last time she had felt like this, so eager to put it all down on paper, was when she wrote about the first time she met her friend Hyejoo... God, she had missed her ever since they left the city. 

She was probably the only one, along with Gowon, that she would genuinely miss if she were to stay there forever. 

Her dad had wanted a boy, and after all the trouble they had having children, her father was not pleased when she was born. Siyeon has grown up with no special affection or bond with her father, he seemed to only tolerate her for her mother, who he loved dearly. When she was gone, there was no point in pretending he cared, his only concern being marring her off and getting the dowry owed to him. 

Those thoughts were anything but helpful, and seeing it was way past midnight she left it there, only to continue the next morning as soon as she woke up. 

***

The first few minutes were fine.

Bora walked in with a tray full of food, letting in the smell of freshly baked cupcakes, a couple of them placed on a small plate with sloppy frosting melting off them. The sight of it made Siyeon’s mouth water and her heart skipped a beat that she chose to blame on the food rather than the smile of the girl who brought them; she did have a particularly weak spot for any kind sweets. The smaller girl said she’d decided to bake for fun and, though they weren’t the prettiest, she thought it was pretty good but still wanted an “objective opinion”. 

The truth is that Gahyeon had insisted on baking them, though she ended up doing most of the baking while Gahyeon fooled around with the batter and frosting, but it put her in a good mood regardless. 

—I see you’ve already made yourself comfortable. —Sua teased, looking at the untidy bed and books sprawled all over the desk. 

Siyeon coughed loudly, her cheeks red with embarrassment and covering her mouth until she finished eating.

The vampire casually walked towards the desk, about to make another teasing remark that would keep the blush on the other girl’s cheeks, before her eyes suddenly stumbled upon a name. 

Gahyeon. 

She blinked repeatedly, just to make sure that was actually written there. A knot went up her throat, not one to make her cry but one that wanted her to scream. 

—What is this? —Sua asked after stopping right in front of the notebook. Her voice was calm and ice cold, unlike the loud teasing tone that Siyeon had become accustomed to, and the sudden change made Siyeon shiver. 

Tentatively, she made her way towards the desk, her heart going miles per hour. 

—What the fuck is this?! —she turned around abruptly, the notebook wide open tightly clutched in her hand.

Siyeon flinched and took a step back, suddenly aware of the little space she had left between them. She could even see Sua’s chest going up and down rapidly and some little, almost invisible flour spots on her shirt. 

—I- I didn’t-

Bora couldn’t hear her. 

She was blinded by her own anger and her fear of losing the ones she loved, the only thing in mind being her last conversation with Minji. 

“Don’t trust her” 

The words kept echoing in her brain, like that was all she’d ever known. 

In a useless attempt to make sense of the situation, Siyeon tried to take the notebook from her to see what had triggered such a reaction, but failed miserably and almost stumbled against the opposite wall. 

Before either of them could realize what was happening, Sua dropped the notebook and, with a speed Siyeon knew wasn’t human, pushed her against the wall with so much strength she found herself out of breath. 

She wasn’t herself anymore, the bring golden color in her eyes that had replaced the deep brown was a telltale sign. 

Sua’s small hand made its way to Siyeon’s neck, chocking her in such a sudden yet calmed way the younger girls eyes were wide open, first in surprise and then pure fear.

—You’re just like him. —Sua spoke right into the younger girls ear and her voice had an octave lower that gave her goosebumps.

Somehow, the words hit her harder than the actual blow against the wall. 

Minji was right, this could perfectly be a set up, an intricate plan design by that poor excuse of a man who would go as far as to send his wife in, if she was even his wife at all. 

At the thought, the grip around Siyeon’s throat only got tighter, nails digging into her sensitive skin as she tried to get Sua to stop, pulling and scratching at the girls hand. Tears were steaming down her face, nothing but pure fear on her eyes. 

She was going to die. 

With newfound energy given by the panic the idea of death gave her, she struggled harder, kicking and punching, but there was nothing she could do to get the other girl to losen her unnatural strong grip. 

She was done. 

Or she would’ve, had it not been for the sudden struck of sense that seemed to hit Sua. 

What the hell was she doing? 

She released her suddenly, causing Siyeon to fall on her knees, desperately gasping for air and holding her neck in pain, letting out chocked sobs. Bora was glued to her spot, unable to forget the pure fear on the girl’s eyes. Siyeon’s weak body trembled in fear, now sobbing uncontrollably with her face hidden under her messy dark hair. 

Maybe... maybe Minji hadn’t warned her to keep her distance for her own sake but because... because she knew Bora was dangerous. She knew that, deep down, she was a monster just like Yoohyeon, and wanted her to stay as far from Siyeon as she could because she would hurt her. She hated to think that, and she knew Minji probably hadn’t mean it like that, but it was true. 

She did hurt her. 

She shouldn’t have talked to Siyeon in the first place, she should’ve stayed away and let the others handle it, or treated her like she would’ve done the Duke. 

Maybe Bora was far from being a threat to Handong, but everyone else? She wasn’t so sure. As much as she wanted to believe she would never hurt someone innocent, that she’d changed and she wasn’t the monster everyone thought her... she was. 

She couldn’t go back, she couldn’t change what she’d done, the only thing she could do now was leave. So she did just that, ran out the room and shut the door locked as if she’d been the one to get hurt. 

Siyeon managed to catch a glimpse of the girl’s expression before she left. Maybe her teary eyes had deceive her, but she could’ve sworn Sua was crying with as much hurt as she was. 

Either way, it didn’t matter. She was left alone in the room, curled up against the wall and crying until she had no tears left. 

Why? 

What had she written that was so terrible? What had she done to get such a reaction? Of course, she didn’t blamed herself, but she couldn’t help but wonder what was so important. Had she been brave enough, she would’ve knocked on the door demanding and explanation. 

“You’re just like him” 

The words echoed in her head, what had she meant? She couldn’t possibly think this was all her husband’s doing, right? 

One thing she was sure of was that she wouldn’t get any answers from Sua herself, not that she would dare ask anytime soon. 

The next morning, she woke up later than usual after a restless night, both because of the pain in her bruising neck and what it reminded her of. As always, there was a tray of food on the desk, only this time the difference was the amount. 

Enough to last her for more than a day. 

Sua wouldn’t come back in the evening, which made Siyeon feel an instant wave of relief, but throughout the day it was replaced with slight uneasiness. 

What if she never came back? 

She shouldn’t care as much as she did, but she couldn’t help it. Siyeon told herself it was only because she deserved an explanation, that she didn’t care about Sua, only about the answers she could provide. 

Still, she waited. When the sun started to go down, she waited for her. 

She waited and waited, even if she didn’t wanted to, she waited.

She waited, even when her eyelids got heavy with sleep and her consciousness started to slip away. 

She waited, until she couldn’t wait any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it was a little shorter, but mostly because I’m dramatic and wanted to leave it like that hehehe. I’m sorry if it was a little disappointing.   
> Yes i already have part of the next chapter written, maybe the update will come sooner because I should be out of school soon!   
> Feel free to leave comments with your thought!


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New friends and apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well hello there ... I’m back! Happy new year ig? As always please comment what to think of this chapter it really makes me so happy to read them! enjoy!

The knock on the door startled her. 

During all her days there, Sua hadn’t knocked once. 

—Come in? —she answered hesitant, unable to help the crack on her voice. 

Saying she was nervous was an understatement. The bruise marks on her neck were not only noticeable but also painful and she couldn’t help touching them every five minutes, which made it even worse. Because of it, she grabbed the first scarf she could find and wrapped it gently around her throat. 

She thought she was ready. 

It was odd to admit it, but she found herself a bit disappointed when the older girl didn’t visit. Her mind was full of questions, even more than when she first got there, and though she was still scared of Sua, the sooner they talked the sooner her mind would be put to rest. The answer would most likely be a bad one, maybe even disturbing, but Siyeon needed to know. 

So she took a deep breath, bracing herself to face the vampire and doing her best to ignore the sudden tingly sensation on her neck. However, her breath got caught on her throat the second she saw a woman with blue hair walking in followed by a girl with dark brown hair. 

They couldn’t be older than herself, and Siyeon would go as far as to say the smaller girl, with her brown locks of hair and beautiful doll like features, was barely out of her teens. She was about Sua’s height and walked in with the same energetic and rushed pace of other woman, only without the cockiness Sua had and with a lot of evident excitement. On the other hand, the woman who had first entered, holding the tray with food Siyeon hadn’t even noticed until now, had a serious, almost threatening expression. She carried herself in a powerful way that made Siyeon think she could be the owner of the house, and her dark blue hair that wouldn’t cease to amaze her only highlighted her perfect features, giving her an unnatural yet beautiful aura. 

From that, Siyeon thought she could guess two things: first, that the blue haired woman was Yoohyeon, and the smaller girl either was either Bora or Gahyeon; second, that they were most likely not humans because no young woman would willingly stay there, right? Plus, both of them had a beauty that couldn’t possibly be human. 

Later, she would find that she completely wrong. 

—Hello! I’m Gahyeon. —the smaller girl skipped towards her, like a kid excited to make new friends. She extended her hand towards her and Siyeon took it out of habit, had she thought twice about it she would’ve hesitated, thinking it was a set up of some kind. 

The other woman walked slowly to the table, placing the food there with seemingly no interest in Siyeon. 

—This is Handong. —the girl gestures at the other woman who only nodded lightly, as if she was deep in thought. —Shes not in a mood by the way, she’s just like that. —Gahyeon teased, earning a light chuckle from Siyeon and a playful shove from the blue haired woman. 

Before she could start blurting out her questions, the younger girl beat her to it. 

—So you’ve been staying here... —she said as she gave a full look at the room. —It looks boring. —the comment earned another push from Handong, only less gentle this time. —Yah! It’s the truth I was here once and there’s nothing. —the girl shrugged, making herself comfortable on the edge of the bed. 

Somehow, the girl’s entire demeanor and familiarity made her feel welcome, like Sua had, only more reassuring. On the other hand, it was hard to ignore Handong’s piercing cold stare on her. 

—Well... there’s not much to do. —Siyeon sat down on the desk to eat, still cautious of both women.

—What do you like to do on your free time? Maybe I could help! —the girl seemed genuinely eager to make her feel comfortable and Siyeon felt like she had no choice but to trust her. 

—I... —her voice was low, making the younger girl stop shuffling around the bed and lean closer toward her— I like reading, but most books here are about-

—Wine. —both girls said at the same time, and Siyeon could’ve sworn she’d seen a small smirk on Handong’s lips. 

—This house is full of them, bottles too. —Gahyeon sighted before making her way to the bookshelf. 

—Why? 

—I don’t know, they were here before us. —Gahyeon shrugged. —You found some good ones I presume? —she added, now going through the pile of books on the desk. 

—Yeah... 

Before silence could settle on the room and only Siyeon’s chewing could be heard, Gahyeon asked her more questions. And more. About her interests, herself, her taste in music and why she preferred pants over dresses, offering answers about herself as well. 

(Gahyeon likes to cook, to Siyeon’s surprise she’s 21, she likes soft music and doesn’t understand why Siyeon prefers pants because her dresses are cute) 

Siyeon felt oddly comfortable answering, appreciating the girl’s easygoing personality and kindness. She had never met a person so willing to get to know a stranger and so capable of keeping a nice comfortable conversation. Siyeon herself was anything but sociable, she dislikes crowds and most people she’s met, choosing to keep to herself and preferring lone walks on the forest rather than gatherings with Minho’s uptight friends. With Gahyeon though, she found herself enjoying it and often forgetting about the other woman’s cold gaze on her, only being reminded of her presence when she made a small comment. 

—So are you... —Siyeon dared ask after a while, her cautious and suddenly serious tone drawing Handong’s attention. —Are you like Sua? 

Both girls stared back blankly at her for at least a minute, and Siyeon was ready to rephrase it before she was interrupted by Gahyeon. 

—Ohhhhh... well yes, but only one of us. —she jumped up and down brightly before taking to the chair next to Siyeon. —Can you guess? 

Had it not been for the small shiny fangs Gahyeon sported proudly when she smiled at her, she would’ve bet her life it was Handong. Her eyes were wide open in surprise, realizing this sweet bright girl was a vampire, while the woman with unnatural blue hair and threatening was just... human. Not that it made it better. 

—You? —she could help but smile when Gahyeon’s contagious grin widened. 

—Yes! Well, kind of... I still have to fully transition. —Siyeon gave her a questioning look, prompting her to explain. —it’s like vampire puberty, you could say. —Handong snorted, earning what was probably supposed to be a threatening gaze form Gahyeon. 

—So she’s... —Siyeon cautiously pointed at Handong who laughed loudly. 

—Human! —Gahyeon did not seem to realize how unlikely that seemed for Siyeon, so she moved on from the topic rather quickly, leaving her with many unanswered questions. 

After almost two hours or so, Handong interrupted their giggles with a purposely loud cough. 

—Gahyeon, I think she’s answered enough of your questions for the day, don’t you think? —Handong said in a snarky tone, gesturing the younger girl to get up. Gahyeon made no effort in hiding her disappointment, her shoulders slumped down and with an exaggerated pout aimed towards the blue haired girl. 

—Why don’t you get the art supplies you promised? —Handong’s suggestion made her eyes lit up and before she could question anything, she ran out of the room like an overly excited puppy. 

Finally, silence filled the room as both women stared at the spot Gahyeon had been, her loud footsteps fading in a matter of seconds. The silence was comfortable, almost too good to be true, which is why Siyeon was not surprised when the other woman put an end to it. 

—Siyeon —Handong called, her face still expressionless like it had been for most of the time. —I know what happened. —she stated bluntly, slightly nodding towards the scarf around her neck. 

—I...—Siyeon’s words got caught on her throat, not really knowing what to say. Instinctively, she took her hand to her neck where the bruising had appeared. 

—Look... —this time, Handong’s voice was softer, now sounding both concerned and tired. —I don’t mean to excuse her, I just want you to know that she’s not like that, —there wasn’t a single trace of doubt in her voice, almost convincing Siyeon entirely—but when it comes to us, especially Gahyeon she can be a little...

—Overprotective? —Siyeon tried. 

—Yes, you could it like that. —Handong sighted, giving her a tired smile— Just know she didn’t mean it and probably feels like shit about it. 

—Why didn’t she come to say that herself? —there was no resentment in her voice, only curiosity, which made Handong raise an eyebrow. 

—She assumed you wouldn’t want to see her, so she sent us instead. —Handong shrugged. 

She was right. For the first time, she had been dreading their next meeting, fearing it would go just as bad as it had the last time. However, she did miss seeing her, even if it was for a short while she just felt like... she still wanted to see her. She stared at Handong with her mouth slightly open, finding herself once again at a lost of words. 

—Here —Handong fished a little glass bottle out of her pocket and handed it over to Siyeon— It’ll help with the bruising. 

Siyeon thanked her silently before an alarm went off in her head. 

—Wait... if she’s afraid of me hurting Gahyeon, then why send her here? —her heart was now about to pop out of her chest and she was sure the other girl could hear it. 

Was she going to die then? Or stay there forever? 

—She doesn’t know she’s here —Handong shrugged. Siyeon didn’t know if the other girl was an amazing liar or actually being genuine, though it didn’t add up with what she’d said before.—Plus, I don’t think Bora sees _you_ as a threat. —she reassured her. 

Siyeon started blankly at Handong before connecting the dots. So, Sua was actually Bora, which made sense since she didn’t think the girl was dumb enough to tell them her real name. 

—So s-

—I only found this. —Gahyeon bursted into the room, carrying a small sketchbook along with pencils of all colors and sizes. 

Siyeon quickly pocketed the bottle Handong had given her and took the things from Gahyeon’s arms with a small, thankful smile. 

After saying their goodbyes, which consisted of a curt nod from Handong and quick tight hug from Gahyeon, Siyeon was left alone with her thoughts. 

“I’d want protect Gahyeon too” is what first comes to mind, with the image of the innocent and cheerful girl asking anything that came to mind. Though they’d just met, Siyeon was sure the girl was being completely transparent and almost too trusting with her, which made her want to shield the girl from anything or anyone who dared take advantage of that. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean she forgives Sua... or Bora, as Handong had slipped. Now she understands why she snapped the way she did, but even if it were enough to justify it, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever forgive her, or stop being scared. 

She’s not some benevolent, perfect character from her novels, she won’t just forgive and forget everyone who’s wronged her. In fact, she’s quite revengeful and she wishes, from the bottom of her heart, that everyone who’s hurt her and her friends with no remorse gets thrice as much pain. 

“No remorse” being the keywords. 

Most people apologize, some with genuine guilt which is all it takes for Siyeon to forgive them, and some with a fake smile and almost annoyed expression, which makes her blood boil. Her father and Minho are great examples of the latter, but all she could do was fake a smile and pretend, silently cursing them for thinking her dumb enough to buy it. 

Looking back, without taking into account what Handong had mentioned, Sua did seem troubled after she let her go. Siyeon only managed to catch a glimpse of it, but she could’ve sworn the other girl was crying. 

If she got a little romantic and dramatic, as she often did, she could almost say Bora had been possessed by anger, fear or any and every demon there is in the human mind. However, it eventually disappeared, almost as quickly as it came, leaving nothing but a broken, sorrowful girl who could barely keep herself together long enough to leave. 

Now, that could be seen as one of Siyeon’s poor attempts to find a reason to forgive her, to have hope. 

Why would she do that? 

That’s not what she meant to do, because there’s no reason for her to want to forgive Sua. If anything, she should look for reasons not to. 

She concludes that, whatever it is she believes or wants to believe doesn’t matter; none of that matters if Bora doesn’t apologize. Whether she’ll accept it or not depends on Sua’s apology entirely. 

Maybe it’s not the wisest choice, and maybe she should try to figure out why Bora’s apology feels so important, why she isn’t scared of her coming back, why does she wish their relationship —whatever it is, there’s something— doesn’t end there. 

But she’s too tired. Too tired to go over the thousands of maybes, too tired to dwell on everything that is and isn’t, too tired to consider wether or not Minho was right. 

Despite it being early enough to see how the last rays of sun color the sky with reds and purples, Siyeon’s eyelids weight down heavily and she doesn’t try to keep them open, welcoming sleep as if it were the answer to everything. 

***

Bora had never been one to get nervous around other people, being almost too confident, especially around girls. Needless to say, it was a surprise when, for the first time in decades, she felt the anxiety bubbling up in her stomach, her palms sweaty and her entire body tensed up in anticipation. 

Strangely enough, she felt human. 

She’d been nervous before of course, but never to this extent. For so long she had wished to feel like that again, for something to come and fill the void inside her, to make her feel completely human. Even if it came in the form of pain or loss, she’d take it just so she could catch a glimpse and remember what it felt like to be human. 

Still, Bora thought it was normal to be a little nervous in this situation. She wasn’t ready to face Siyeon again —she wasn’t even sure she could look at her in the eye— but she knew she had to. 

The younger girl had asked about her in a good way according to Handong, who took her time telling her everything, down to smallest of details, adding gestures and tones to make it into an almost entertaining drama. 

The only thing that managed to calm her down was the thought of Minji and Yoohyeon coming back with the potion. Siyeon would forget everything anyway, it didn’t really mattered if she said the right thing or not. 

This seemed to be the one thing keeping her from running back to her room and one of the reasons she hadn’t yelled at Handong for that long after finding out Gahyeon went in too. To be honest, she expected it, but she hoped Handong would give the younger girl at least a bit of trouble. 

Either way —potion or not— she wanted to make things right. 

Before she could regret it, she opened the door gently and walked into the room, the tray in her hand shaking slightly. She knew Siyeon would be awake, but didn’t expect her to be already up, sitting comfortably in the windowsill with a book between her hands and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

The girl looked at her with eyes wide in surprise, but Bora couldn’t sense even the slightest trace of fear, though she was more focused on safely setting the tray down on the table before her nerves got the best of her and dropped it. 

—Bora. 

It came out naturally, rolling off Siyeon’s tongue before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth with her hand as soon as she realized it, though she couldn’t deny how good it felt to say it out loud. 

The vampire felt a chill go down her spine, pleasantly surprised to hear her name coming off the other girl’s lips. She couldn’t help but grin widely, but it turned into a small shy smile as soon as she turned around to look at the younger girl. 

She hadn’t expected Siyeon to address her and, deep down, she hoped she would just ignore her and take away her chance to talk. 

—Siyeon... —she looked down at her feet, the mix of shyness and shame too strong on her chest made it impossible for her to face her. 

But she had to. 

With a deep breath, she took a couple of steps forward and faced Siyeon, who was standing tentatively next to the window looking at her with raised brows that made Bora feel smaller and look away. 

—Listen I— Bora may be good at many things, but wording out her feelings wasn’t one of them. —I just want to say that I’m sorry. 

“Weak” she thought to herself, fidgeting with the buttons of her sleeve. 

—What I did is... unforgivable, and I know it’s something you’ll hardly forget.— _“on your own”_ , she wanted to add, but now was not the time to have _that_ conversation— I don’t expect you to accept my apology, I... I didn’t even expect you to talk to me. —Bora scratched the back of her neck anxiously. She hadn’t really meant to be so bluntly honest, but she thought she owed the girl at least that. 

Her gaze had been focused on the table, the window, on the floor, anything but Siyeon. So when she looked up tentatively, she was surprised to find the girl’s attentive gaze on her, with a soft expression that made Bora’s heart skip a beat. 

She never expected Siyeon to look at her like _that_ , not after everything she’d done. 

—I... —she lowered her gaze again, hearing the other girl shuffling closer to her— I just want you to know that I really am sorry. I don’t know what came over me and— she looked up, wanting to take in every last detail of Siyeon’s face. —you don’t have to worry about it happening again. I know I’m the last person you’d want to see now so I’ll just... stay away. 

Her promise hurt more than she’d ever admit it, but she knew it was the best for Siyeon. 

The human girl stared blankly at her, taking on the meaning of the other girl’s words. 

Stay away?, for how long? For the rest of... of what?, her life?, her stay there? How long would that be anyway? 

The questions started to fill her brain all of a sudden, her breathing accelerated and stray tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably. 

As Bora reached for the door, Siyeon grabbed her wrist to stop her, just like the first time she came in. Ironic, considering this was probably the last time they saw each other. 

It was the same, but it wasn’t. 

The first time Siyeon asked if she’d be back, with such transparent curiosity yet frightened expression it was heartbreaking, and it took Bora a lot of effort to keep it away from her thoughts. Now, she was faced with the same transparency and the same tight feeling in her chest, only this time Siyeon’s eyes were full off tears, pure fear and desperation that made her heart break once again, only this time she wasn’t sure it could be fixed. 

—I’m- I’m not leaving this place alive, am I? —her voice was shaky, so low it could’ve been mistaken by the whispering of the wind against the house. 

Bora’s chest tightened and she felt a knot forming on her throat. She didn’t know why she felt so strongly when it came to this girl, but she just couldn’t help it.

Gently, she turned Siyeon’s hand around to hold it on her own and instinctively looked for the other one as well, giving them a tight reassuring squeeze and rubbing her thumb in circles in an attempt to calm her down. 

Despite the comforting gesture, the panic on Siyeon’s chest kept growing, feeling like no amount of air was enough and the walls started to close in. 

—Siyeon—Bora spoke sweetly, but got no reaction from the younger girl— Siyeon listen— she let go of her hands, gently cupping the girl’s cheeks to make her look at her and stop her imminent panic. —Breathe. 

Siyeon kept sobbing for a while, avoiding Bora’s eyes until she was calm enough to breath properly. The older girl allowed her to take her time, keeping her hands on the others cheeks and gently wiping away any stray tear that escaped. 

—You’re not dying, okay?— her voice was so firm and confident Siyeon thought that maybe she could believe anything the other woman told her. —I promise. You will not die for someone else’s mistakes. —and somehow, that was enough to make her panic subside. 

She didn’t want to trust her —she shouldn’t trust her— but right now Siyeon was too tired to convince herself against it. 

Siyeon sniffed, nodding a couple of times and allowing Bora to take her hand and lead her to the windowsill, wide enough for them to sit. Bora loosened her grip around her hand, but didn’t move it away for the other’s lap. 

—Then what’s... what are you going to do? —Siyeon wouldn’t take her eyes off of Bora, who kept her gaze fixed on a faraway point outside the window. 

Silence settled between them, but it’s oddly comfortable. Even if the vampire doesn’t look at her, the thumb caressing her hand absentmindedly and the low sighs that escape her delicate lips lets Siyeon know she’ll get an answer eventually. 

—It’s hard but... —Bora finally starts, grabbing both of the girl’s hands into hers and squeezing them in reassurance. —please, promise to stay calm when I tell you this. 

That was the last thing Siyeon would’ve wanted to hear and it certainly did not help her stay calm, but she took a deep breath and nodded. 

—There’s this thing... a potion, you could say. —she sighs, taking a deep breath before dropping the bomb— it can erase your memory. 

Bora would’ve laugh at how Siyeon’s usually calm, wolf like eyes, shot open in surprise and gave her what she thought was the funniest face she’d ever seen. What stopped her was seeing her chest go up and down desperately, her breathing fast and uneven with tears threatening to fall again.

—M-my- my memory? —she breathed out shakily, trying to focus on the constant, soothing circles Bora kept rubbing. She even allowed herself to think about how every touch seemed to burn, the feeling lingering a little bit longer as if imprinted on her skin. 

—Not all of your memories. —Bora rushed to add, suddenly worried that her poor choice of words made it worse. —It- it depends on the dosis. —she mumbled, coughing lightly to give herself more time to thing. —We are going to give you enough to forget... all of this. 

Siyeon, as ever, didn’t consider this as enough information and, despite how overwhelming it felt to know that all of this would just be gone, her curiosity got the best of her. 

The vampire was well then aware of that and waited for her to ask away, feeling something like... contempt, just by watching Siyeon think, the little crinkle between her eyebrows and how her thoughts seemed to flash through eyes. 

(She shoved those thoughts to the back of her head quickly because it was not the time to think about it, if she should even think about it at all) 

—Why wait? —Bora raised her brows quizzically in response, but nodded after she understood what Siyeon meant. 

—It’s not easy to make a potion. Well, it is, actually it only takes about two hours to prepare at most, depending on the...

She trailed off, suddenly aware of how Siyeon’s fingers had made its way to the back of her hand, pinching her lightly. It didn’t seem to be on purpose, Bora thought it was more like a habit or a nervous fidget one would have, as the girl didn’t really seem to realize what she was doing, her eyes fixed on the vampire with a thoughtful yet attentive look. 

Bora couldn’t help but think it was endearing and, before Siyeon could figure out why she’d stopped, she gave her a small smile and continued, doing her best to ignore the light burning on her cheeks. 

—Well, in this case the problem is that it includes a rare ingredient, so Yoohyeon and Minji went to get it. —the smaller woman covered her mouth as soon as she realized her mistake and a small chuckle escaped Siyeon’s lips (maybe making mistakes was worth it afterwards all). 

—And after I drink it? —Bora appreciated that she didn’t ask about Minji, though she knew she’d have to give her some answers another time.

—You’ll be unconscious for a while, enough for us to just... —Bora sighted, almost pained by her next sentence. —drop you off somewhere in the woods next to the village, so you can make your way back to your husband. 

She decided against continuing her explanation, noticing how Siyeon’s eyes darkened at the last words. 

Right, her husband. 

What would happen when she came back? With no information or recollection of where she’d been, would he believe her? 

A shiver went up Siyeon’s spine at the thought of what would happen if he didn’t believe her. She knew him well enough to be sure she’d find herself in a similar position Bora was. He would do anything to find the vampire, and since Siyeon was nothing but an accessory or a trophy wife, he wouldn’t even think twice about threatening or torturing her for any piece of information, as long as he kept his image of loving husband and perfect man. 

She could only hope that her future self remembered enough to realize going back was a bad idea, even if her only alternative was to stay make her way through the woods to the next village. Maybe if they left her somewhere far away... 

—Can I ask you one last thing? —Siyeon said, pushing those thoughts far away. She’d been meaning to ask this ever since she realize it didn’t matter what happened, she could do anything and wouldn’t remember a thing. 

—Anything. 

It came out so genuine and so natural, it made Siyeon feel like flowers were blooming on the pool of her stomach. 

—It more of a request actually...—she let out a nervous chuckle and tucked a stray strand of her behind her ear. —since I won’t remember anything, do I you think I could... go out? 

Bora raised her brows in surprise, her mouth slightly open in surprise. Siyeon couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips, before she explained. 

—Gahyeon mentioned the garden and the library and I just thought... maybe you could give me a tour? —she smiled sheepishly, but Bora just stared in awe thinking about how she’d implied she didn’t despise her and wanted to see her after all. —This isn’t the most entertaining room. 

Both of them let out a quiet laugh, and Bora couldn’t help but marvel at this girl in front of her. How could she laugh after what she was told? Bora could imagine herself throwing and anger fit, attempting countless escapes or crying her eyes out in desperation. Yet she didn’t really seem to care about it, embracing the fact that it would be soon erased from her mind and wanting to do anything that would make the time go faster. 

—Uh... sure. —she said tentatively, and the way the younger girl’s eyes lit up in both surprise and joy made Bora want to give her whatever she wanted that very second, but she had to be reasonable. —I’d have to ask the others but I’m sure they won’t mind. 

_”Minji will”_ , she thought to herself, but they’d left about three days ago, and it would take them at least another three to get back, should they not have any trouble; she’d deal with the responsibility speech later. 

—Really? —Siyeon’s hug was so unexpected and quick Bora could’ve sworn it was just her imagination, had it not been for the slight flush covering the other girl’s cheeks. —Thank you.

Siyeon shuffled further away from her and Bora took it as a sign for her to give her some space. 

—Don’t worry. Tomorrow, though? I just think there’s a lot for you to think about and i know it can feel a bit overwhelming so...

—Sure. —Siyeon smiled widely before standing up and walking to the desk where her forgotten breakfast sat. 

Bora walked to the door, clearing her throat to get the girl’s attention one last time. 

—The girls will come in the evening. —Siyeon nodded, tilting the glass of milk on lips and making almost half of it disappear before replying. 

—Then you can introduce me to everyone properly. —she gave the vampire a mischievous smirk, who just nodded and mumbled a quick goodbye before leaving the room. 

Out of all the things she expected when she went in, walking out with flushed cheeks and butterflies in her stomach was not one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that was it... reason it took so long is bc I wasn’t happy with the way it turned out. I’m still not but I thought this was better than nothing, even if it’s bad.  
> did anyone even read this anyway? idk 
> 
> let me know what you think in the comments! and thank u for the +140 kudos! I never thought I’d bet more than 14 ;-; tysm <3

**Author's Note:**

> This is turned out hella kinky and over dramatic.  
> I’ll update if I get one (1) person that’s interested.  
> English isn’t my first language so I apologize for mistakes.


End file.
